As the whirlwind that is the NBA offseason with the NBA draft, free agency, and trades, potential trade requests and new super teams are always a talking point.
Fresh off the press is a potential trade request looming for Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard, who has grown frustrated with the team’s coaching search backlash and failure to build a championship contender, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Which all begs the questions: 1) Where would Lillard want to be traded to? and 2) do the Celtics have a competitive offer?
Yossi Gozlan of Hoopshype put together a prospective trade for Boston to acquire Lillard, which would involved All-Star Jaylen Brown, several young players, and multiple first-round picks.
Damian Lillard might want out of Portland.
I wrote about the most logical trade destinations and what the Blazers could get back for him, on @hoopshype.https://t.co/cx7bmUqB4y
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 28, 2021
As Gozlan notes, while including the 24-year old Brown would be extremely difficult for the Celtics to do, it’s likely their only path to acquiring Lillard.
For Lillard, this offseason not only includes a new head coach in Portland in Chauncey Billups and a potential trade request but also playing for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics.
Who else is playing for Team USA? Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum.
To say that the creating a relationship with Tatum in Tokyo could help sway Lillard to desire Boston as a potential destination isn’t out of left field, but would Brad Stevens and brass be willing to offer Jaylen Brown?
Talk about a monumental potential decision for Stevens in his first few months on the job.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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