Around a week has passed since the Milwaukee Bucks stunned everyone by waiving their superstar point guard, Damian Lillard. No one saw this move coming this offseason, not even Giannis Antetokounmpo apparently. Nonetheless, if anything we’ve learned from the NBA last season is to expect the unexpected. Now, for the first time ever in his career, Dame is a free agent. You know what that means, right? Yes, teams are swarming up like bees to acquire the veteran guard. But one team seems to head and shoulders above the rest.

Any guesses which team that could be? If you said the Boston Celtics, you’d be right on. The Cs have emerged as the top landing spot for Damian Lillard. We mean, why not? It makes perfect sense from both the player’s and the team’s perspectives. We all know that the luxury tax implications are looming over Boston. That’s the reason why they’ve had to let go of the likes of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and others. So, with Lillard being a free agent will be a cheap and reliable option for the Celtics, something that they are in dire need of.

Meanwhile, for Dame, Boston could be the perfect place for him to recover from his Achilles injury and contend for a championship once healed. Now that we’ve established what’s in it for both parties, you might be wondering what the latest update is, right? Well, they’re have been reports that Lillard met up with the team’s GM Brad Stevens along with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and was quite impressed with all indicators pointing at him joining the Boston-based team.

However, it seems one person has been going out of his way to persuade Lillard to join the organization. Yes, you heard us. The person we’re referring to here is none other than Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. “Jayson Tatum has been recruiting Damian Lillard to join the Celtics, per @GwashburnGlobe.” The Boston reporter, Gary Washburn, has revealed that Tatum has been actively in talks with Lillard and influencing him to join his team.

While this is a major W for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, it’s a blow to the gut for the Golden State Warriors, who were also in the race to sign Lillard. The Bay Area team is also looking to bolster their ranks, and given their financial restrictions, Damian Lillard seemed like a great option. However, it seems like that boat has now sailed for Stephen Curry and Co., with Boston in advanced talks with the All-Star point guard. Although they might’ve defeated their competition, the Celtics still have a lot of work to do within their organization. 

Can the Boston Celtics accommodate Damian Lillard?

With the recent updates coming in, it’s pretty clear that the Boston Celtics are now the frontrunners in the race to acquire Damian Lillard. They have left the likes of the Warriors and Lakers behind, but that doesn’t guarantee them anything right now. In fact, Boston currently has a full roster of 15 players, but two of those are on non-guaranteed or two-way deals. Jordan Walsh and JD Davison are those players we’re talking about. This makes things a bit tricky for the Celtics.

They can offer the veteran’s minimum to Lillard or could even technically offer the taxpayer mid-level exception if they can do further cost-cutting. However, it’s unlikely that the Celtics will be willing to spend that much with Tax implications staring them right in the eye. So, what’s the solution? Well, there’s a possibility that Boston could get Lillard to wait until closer to next season. It makes sense because Lillard will anyway be getting paid from the $112.6 million he’s owed by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now, at the moment, we cannot say which deal Lillard will opt for, but we do know that Jayson Tatum will be putting pressure on him to sign with the Celtics. As for the Celtics front office, it’s for them to decide if they want to wait and add younger players to the roster and build around their core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White, or sign Lillard and get back to challenging for a title when Tatum is fully fit, as everyone eagerly awaits their final decision.