Kofi Inkoom
The Damian Lillard trade talks are dominating the media, with nearly every NBA team expressing interest in acquiring him. The latest entrant into this race is the Boston Celtics, last season’s Eastern Conference playoff finalists.
According to the latest odds from BetOnline, the Celtics are considered a strong contender to trade for Damian Lillard if he doesn’t end up with the Miami Heat this offseason. The odds currently stand as follows:
– Toronto Raptors: +125
– Philadelphia 76ers: +325
– Brooklyn Nets: +500
– Boston Celtics: +60
The Boston Celtics are the favorites to land Damian Lillard if he’s not traded to Miami, per @betonline_ag pic.twitter.com/oM4UsDeafX
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 25, 2023
It’s intriguing to note Boston’s emergence as a prominent contender for Damian Lillard, especially in light of their recent trade involving Marcus Smart this offseason.
In the exchange that sent Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis, leaving Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard as their primary options for the point guard position.
MORE : Porzingis is Back From Injury and is Already Prepping For Training Camp
While the Miami Heat have long been linked to Lillard in trade rumors, several other teams have entered the fray for the seven-time All-Star.
The Toronto Raptors, for instance, believe they can position themselves ahead of Miami in the trade discussions, but as of now, no deal has been finalized for the star Blazers player.
Boston presents an intriguing scenario as they seek to contend for an NBA championship following their appearance in the 2021-22 NBA Finals.
The Celtics faced a setback against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, marking the third time in the last four NBA seasons that these two teams have clashed at that stage.
It remains uncertain whether Lillard would be inclined to join Boston, given reports suggesting that he would specifically request a trade to Miami if he were to be moved elsewhere during this offseason.
Lillard, an esteemed seven-time All-NBA honoree, remains among the elite guards in the NBA. During the last season, he maintained impressive averages of 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 46.3% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the three-point line.
For the past month, there have been reports of Jayson Tatum making efforts to convince Damian Lillard to join the Celtics.
Also, the Boston Celtics are favored with the best championship odds for the upcoming season, as indicated by BetOnline.
Should Damian Lillard indeed choose to join them, it could bring the Celtics closer to achieving either of two significant goals: acquiring Lillard from the Blazers or clinching their first championship since 2008.