Damian Lillard continues to be the hottest free agent on the market. The nine-time All-Star is yet to make a decision on his future, more than a week after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard, who’s still recovering from an Achilles injury that he suffered during the playoffs last season, is being approached by several teams. This includes the likes of the Lakers and Warriors. However, there’s one team that seems to be the frontrunners at the moment to acquire the veteran point guard.

Any guesses which team is that? Yes, the Boston Celtics are the favorites to sign Dame right now. There have been quite a few reports linking the 34-year-old superstar to the Cs, and to be fair, the move does make a lot of sense from the team’s perspective. We all know the Celtics are handicapped with tax implications, not to mention Jayson Tatum’s absence next season. Boston is in dire need of  cheap and reliable players to add to the roster, and who could be better than Lillard?

After all, he’ll be earning a handsome amount through the $113.6 million the Bucks owe him over the next few years. So, the Celtics could pick him up at a discounted price. However, there’s a huge roadblock in Boston’s way, and no, it’s not about money. Although the Celtics can only offer Lillard a veteran minimum, Boston Insider, Gary Washburn, thinks that Dame might take the summer off. “It might be fit. It might be just kind of taking the summer to spend time with his family,” he said.

The reporter further explained why he thinks that Lillard might be looking to take some time off on CLNS Boston Sports Network. “I know he wants to be. He loves Portland, and he had, I think, what people may have overlooked, or you know, he had a really nasty divorce, and his family, you know, his kids stayed in Portland while he was in Milwaukee. So, I just think he’s enjoying the home time.” Washburn added. The Boston Insider does have a fair point here.

Lillard not only went through a rough divorce last year, but there were also reports that the guard also wanted to continue his rehab back in Portland with his family. In fact, a few people reportedly did not like this in Milwaukee, and this later on played a part in the franchise deciding to waive him completely. So, it might not be a surprise if Damian Lillard decides to continue his recovery without signing for a team and take some time off. However, it seems like Jayson Tatum isn’t the biggest fan of this idea.

Jayson Tatum continues to recruit Damian Lillard to Boston

Although Damian Lillard is yet to make a final decision on his next move, it seems that Jayson Tatum isn’t going to allow the veteran guard any breathing space. The Boston Celtics superstar, who’s also recovering from the same Achilles injury as Lillard, is looking to convince the nine-time All-Star to join him in Boston. Both players will miss most of, if not the entire, upcoming season, but that hasn’t stopped Tatum from plotting moves for the franchise.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Tatum is actively taking part in recruiting Lillard. Well, it isn’t a huge surprise given the friendship the two superstars share. For those of you who don’t know about Jayson Tatum and Lillard’s friendship, they’ve had a great working relationship ever since Lillard’s Portland days. Not to mention, the time they’ve spent playing on Team USA. So, it is only obvious that Tatum is excited to bring Lillard to his team.

However, there are a lot of question marks over Lillard’s fitness. No one knows how well the 34-year-old’s body will recover from such a huge setback. Nonetheless, Boston is looking to sign Dame on a multi-year deal to extend their championship window with the core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White.

Now, there’s no doubt about Lillard’s abilities. After all, he’s coming off a pretty solid season, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. But, will he be the right man for Boston? That remains to be seen.