Celtics Rumors: What Swayed Damian Lillard To Have Interest In Boston

Damian Lillard apparently didn’t want to land with the Boston Celtics the last time he was looking for a new team. However, those feelings apparently have changed.

The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn reported last week that Lillard and the Celtics have mutual interest. Washburn’s report echoes others who have stated the same thing, including colleague Adam Himmelsbach.

Washburn indicated the root of Lillard’s newfound interest is Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, and the shared connection between the two.

“A few years ago, Lillard wasn’t so keen on coming to Boston when the Trail Blazers were considering trading him,” Washburn wrote Thursday. “This time, however, he’s open to Boston and he has a close friendship with Tatum, as they played together on the 2020 Team USA in Tokyo.”

If Lillard is to land in Boston after being bought out by the Milwaukee Bucks, he’ll certainly gain even more familiarity with Tatum. Both NBA All-Stars suffered devastating Achilles injuries during the NBA playoffs and thus have a long road ahead. Chances are they would spend a majority of their time together as they try to recover and rehab from their respective injuries.

It’s no certainly Lillard’s relationship with Tatum will prompt him to sign with Boston. NBA insider Marc J. Spears still ranks the Celtics behind a few others on his list of landing spots for Lillard. However, the mutual interest and reasoning behind it still offers a reason for optimism.