NBA Trade Rumors: Predicting 8 most likely dark horse suitors for Damian Lillard

3. Boston Celtics

If there’s one team that is clearly all-in on this season, it’s the Boston Celtics. And while it would be increasingly difficult to manage the salary cap with such a move, especially after paying Jaylen Brown, you can’t help but love the potential trio that Lillard, Brown, and Jayson Tatum would create in Boston if they were able to pull off such a move. Of course, the big question is if the Celtics have a young player good enough to build a package around.

Boston has the draft capital to add to a package but they truly lack a possible centerpiece player. In a vacuum, that piece would’ve been Brown. But he’s clearly not going to be traded and he couldn’t, per the CBA, even if Boston wanted to.

But if the Celtics could find a way to get a deal done without moving Brown or Tatum, I’m sure they’d at least explore the possibility or feasibility. It’s something to keep in mind if Portland remains sold on holding out on a potential deal of Lillard.

The Celtics are already considering one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference but the addition of Lillard could make them an overwhelming one.