Damian Lillard’s NBA future is now wide open after the Milwaukee Bucks made the surprising decision to waive him. Lillard suffered an Achilles injury during the postseason, a major setback for a player known for his explosiveness and shot-making. Now in rehab, Lillard is taking his time, weighing offers from various teams, with no urgency to make a rushed decision.
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One team that has emerged as a possible destination is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics, with a good run last season and the 2024 championship, are still loaded with talent. They could offer Lillard the chance to compete at the highest level once again.
Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell believes the move would be a strong one for both sides. On the Cedric Maxwell Podcast, he pointed out that Achilles injuries, while serious, are no longer career-ending. With modern rehab and player development, many stars have come back to form, and he sees no reason why Lillard can’t do the same.
He said, “Dame Lillard still has a lot in the tank, and I believe that if you were able to get him and just say if he came on board, you [would] get him for small money on the dollar. Now, he comes in with the Celtics. You have Brown, you have Tatum, you have him.” Adding Lillard to a roster that already features Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would give the Celtics yet another proven scorer and clutch performer.
As for rotations, Maxwell thinks the Celtics could easily slide Lillard into the starting lineup and shift Payton Pritchard back to the bench. That would give Boston flexibility and a dynamic offensive threat to complement their strong defensive core. For now, Lillard remains a free agent recovering from injury, but the possibility of him joining the Celtics is generating buzz.
Stephen Jackson doesn’t want Damian Lillard to rush into any decision
It’s no surprise that teams are desperate to sign Lillard. They know what Maxwell outlined on his podcast, Dame still has a lot to offer. But not every NBA legend is in favor of him making a decision while he recovers from the injury. As per Stephen Jackson on All The Smoke, Dame should take more time and recover using his own resources.
He believes that Dame should take a good look at all his options and go somewhere where he has a better chance of becoming a champion. Until then, he should focus on recovery. Jackson said, “But until he finds that, you [have] got to rehab on your own. You’ve been making a lot of money, you can have all the same resources outside of the NBA.”
Vernon Maxwell has also echoed a similar sentiment. He said, “Rehab on his own and get himself back together. Just concentrate on himself and put himself in a good position.” Dame has a lot on his plate and much to figure out. The good thing is, he has enough time to make a well-calculated decision.
