NBA Rumors: Jayson Tatum failed to recruit Damian Lillard to the Celtics
The Boston Celtics are among those interested in securing the services of seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, who has made it known that he wants out of the Portland Trail Blazers.
As per NBA writer Marc Spears, leading the recruiting for the Celtics is their resident superstar Jayson Tatum, who has reached out to Lillard through phone. However, despite Tatum’s efforts, ‘Dame’ remains focused on landing with the Miami Heat.
On a sports podcast with The Oregonian, Spears shared that Tatum called Lillard to have an audience, but nothing came out of it. Spears said:
“I know Jason Tatum’s called him. Tried to get in his ear. But his focus is definitely on Miami.”
Landing a talent like Lillard in Beantown would be a boon to the Celtics, who are angling to finally go over the hump and win an NBA title.
The team has come close in the last two years, making it to the NBA Finals in 2022 only to lose to the Golden State Warriors. This year, they lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
Boston has started to rebuild, with Tatum and Jaylen Brown still part of the core. The team has brought in All-Star Kristap Porzingis from the Dallas Mavericks while sending away in separate deals, stalwarts Marcus Smart and Grant Williams.
Lillard, for his part, wants out of Portland after 11 years. He said that he now wants to be part of a team that can help him win a title and not a rebuilding one with young talents.
He's keen on the Heat, who despite ending as the eighth seed in the East last season, wound up in the NBA Finals against eventual champions Denver Nuggets. In the 2022-23 NBA season, Lillard finished with averages of 25.2 points on 43.9% shooting, going 37.2% from beyond the arc, and 6.7 assists.
Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard talks about loyalty amidst trade rumors: "This is the vision I have for myself"
Seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard values loyalty a lot but asserts that it also must make sense.
‘Dame’ recently talked about loyalty amid trade rumors surrounding him. In a video posted on Twitter by SportsCenter, the 33-year-old veteran guard said:
“I’ve always said that I am loyal to who I am, and I’m going to do what I feel like the right thing to do. This is the vision I have for myself, this is what I see being fit for me, at this moment.
"I’m going to ride it ‘til the wheels fall off, but, you know, anything I’m a part of, it all has to be connected. That is what I’m loyal to.”
Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers in July as he hopes to compete for a title. His most preferred destination is the Miami Heat, the losing finalist in last season’s NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, a potential deal between the two teams remains at a standstil,l as they have yet to come up with a suitable way to go about it. The development, or lack thereof, has made the possibility of Lillard remaining with Portland in the foreseeable future highly likely.