Damian Lillard Spurns Celtics, Reunites With Former Team

Damian Lillard will not be joining the Boston Celtics.

Lillard, who flirted heavily with potentially joining the iconic franchise, elected to return to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Lillard is expected to sign a three-year deal with his former club, which will carry a total value of $42 million, has a no-trade clause and includes a player option in 2027-28.

Did you see that one coming?

It’s an interesting decision for the nine-time All-Star, who ultimately returns to the place he asked out of in 2023.

Lillard reportedly preferred to end up with the Miami Heat, but was instead traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a failed two-season run that included just seven total playoff games and ended in catastrophic injury. The Celtics were rumored to be his next destination, but joining a team across the country, for the veteran minimum, who isn’t quite in win-now mode and has a propensity for flipping assets apparently wasn’t too appealing.

How do you feel about the deal, Celtics fans? Let us know in the comments!