Damian Lillard has been the most sought-after All-NBA talent this 2023 offseason. Despite the fact that Dame is a year away from being in his mid-30s and will earn $45,640,084 in 2023-24, almost every single NBA team would love to have him on their roster. Jayson Tatum is certainly someone who has experienced the highs and lows of Playoff basketball and he has made it clear that he wants to add a man like Dame to the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for him, he has his eyes set somewhere else.
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It has been very clear that Dame wants to be sent to his preferred destination this offseason. At the rate at which negotiations are going, he might be on the Blazers roster not only through training camp but when the season starts as well. Recently, he shot back at a Twitter/X user, calling him ‘dumb’ for suggesting that franchises should be loyal to fans alone and not their players, heavily insinuating that they should make trades regardless of players’ specific demands.
Jayson Tatum has tried to get Damian Lillard to the Celtics
If there was one type of player that the Boston Celtics having been missing over the past half decade during their Playoff runs, it’s a player like Damian Lillard. Not only is his 3-level offensive prowess exactly what Tatum and Brown need from the PG position, but his veteran leadership would immediately gel with what they have on the roster.
The Jordan Brand athlete recognizes this and it was reported by Marc Spears that he’s been in Lillard’s ear for quite some time now. Recruiting, while it is something that gets fined by the NBA, is a practice that has been taking place for decades now.
However, even though the Celtics are an extremely attractive team to play for both in terms of roster construction and legacy, Dame has his eyes set somewhere else. He has reportedly let Tatum and any other recruiters know that Miami is the only place he wants to end up at, alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Jayson Tatum had no success recruiting Damian Lillard to Boston, per @MarcJSpears
“I know Jason Tatum’s called him. Tried to get in his ear. But his focus is definitely on Miami.”
(Via @Oregonian / h/t @dru_star ) pic.twitter.com/4Eng7KmlIf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2023
Jimmy Butler has been slyly hinting towards the Dame acquisition
Jimmy Butler isn’t someone who’s going to shy away from addressing major media narratives. He might not come and outright talk about potential trade scenarios but he’s certainly been stirring the pot for some time now in regards to the Damian Lillard situation.
Most recently, he hit a fan with Lillard’s patented ‘Dame Time’ celebration after scoring on him while on tour. He did this earlier this summer as well during the initial stages of the Dame ‘drama’.
Whether or not Lillard gets traded this summer or around Christmas or perhaps even around this upcoming trade deadline in February 2024, it’s clear that his time in PDX is done. He’s the greatest Blazer in the history of the franchise and can leave with his head held up high knowing he gave the team that drafted him everything he had for well over a decade.
