It’d be pretty wild to have JT and Dame come back to the team right before the playoffs next year. 

That being said, there is no way this happens.

JT and Dame rehabbing together and both coming back for ²⁶⁄₂₇ would be something, I’m not sure what but something. I feel like Dame will choose either Miami, Warriors, Lakers, OKC before Boston though.

I don’t know if there is a material benefit to Dame on the Celtics after an Achilles injury but I think there is value in having him rehab and build a syngery with Tatum to heal.

He didn’t want to come here before but you gotta make the call

Didn’t Dame have no interest in coming here when his trade rumors were happening?

I know he will sign elsewhere but it would be so funny if he got here as Tatum Achilles bro

He’ll be 35 and a few months away from being 36 before he plays again, no thanks

prediction: he’d be in interested in Boston thanks to the winning culture, but will turn down a deal because he would have to change his jersey number.

No matter how you slice it, getting Dame on a vet minimum like contract when we are in serious financial trouble is a great deal for us. The cost to potential performance value is fantastic. Sure, Dame could come back poorly from his injury but are we going to cry over a vet minimum not working out when we’re bringing in guys like Georges Niang, Luka Garza and that other guy I didnt even knew existed?

I actually saw someone write this exact scenario on the Twitter machine before this article came out, I won’t lie I was a lil intrigued by it but the money for me is the issue is dame going to price himself out.

Not happening

That’s wild. Are we gonna conquer Troy?

JT & Dame joining the team in 2026-27

I feel like he’d chose a team way closer to home, if he were to sign now. This would be an interesting pivot from the cost-cutting plan, though. It’d be tough to thread the needle on paying Dame to do nothing and also still further lower salary.

If he’s taking a minimum for a year while he rehabs it makes sense to try and build a relationship then sign him long term

Celtics do have a bit of proof of concept organizationally. We might be down on paper right now, but I’m confident that the franchise is strong reputationally in NBA circles. If he wants to go to a winner we are still a good option, especially in a depleted East. Considering the conference actually, if he’s ring chasing (for the next few years) we are the best option between those three teams.

That being said I bet he goes to the Clippers or Blazers.

Not happening, but until he signs elsewhere I’m going to enjoy my delusional thought that he just wants to stick it to the bucks and will sign a min deal here to rehab and play with Tatum. Coming off a torn Achilles at his age he’s not exactly going to have a ton of money thrown at him, but a one year prove it deal on a contender could be exactly what he’s looking for

I would love to pick him up on a small deal. Doesn’t have to be a minimum but I would welcome it.

If he costs any more than the vet min (which obviously he will) there’s no chance we sign him

nooooooooooo

Don’t get why anybody would be against signing him for the minimum or something close.

Might be a hot take but I’m good.

No thank you. He already showed signs of regression due to his age and now he’s coming off an Achilles tear. Feels like a horrible asset to go after, sounds like a laker tho lmao

Depends for how much money. Not super interested in it but it also wouldn’t be important this season either

Will never happen. Dame is a big market, warm weather guy. Boston doesn’t appeal to him as he kind of hinted towards when he asked out of Portland. He’ll go to Miami LA or GSW. 

Makes absolute sense. Him and JT can rehab together , learn more about the system and culture and make a run next year.

Don’t want em don’t need em

Cough cough bullshit coigh cough

I agree with the consensus that it is highly unlikely that he will sign in with the Celtics, given that he is a Cali guy as well as the fact that his three kids live and go to school on the West Coast (he is divorced as of last year).

The only way that I could see him coming here is if he views the Celtics (once Tatum returns) as clearly the best opportunity to win a ring of the teams that are showing interest. Not sure if he has a close relationship with Brown or Tatum or that would help as well.

I don’t think that he would be looking for big money to sign here because he is already getting the Brinks truck every year for the next few years from Portland. From the Celtics perspective, they may be thinking that if they sign Lillard that it leaves open the possibility that they can make some noise in the playoffs. Even if only one of Tatum and Lillard is able to return by the early spring and play at a high level, they would immediately be thrown into the mix of finals contenders in the East, assuming that Brown and White are still on the team. It is more likely that both will miss the entire season but Tatum has youth on his side.

He’s going to be nearly (or actually) 36 when he returns, fresh off an injury most people don’t come back with the same from. It’s a nice fantasy, but please don’t do this…

We can’t afford him

I mean honestly wouldn’t hate it at all

The issue would be paying him, I would be down to pay him the full mle over the next 2-3 years but I think we’d have to cut some significant salary

Really depends on what kind of deal he’s looking for. If it’s short term, I kinda like the idea

Lillard was past his prime and more or less just a name even before his achilles went boom boom. No way in hell.

Celtics make a good amount of basketball sense for the 2026-27 season.

One reason to cut payroll some more….the Tatum disabled player exception $14M lasts until March I believe.

If they get low enough they can use that $14M to sign a player they intend to keep next season. On buyout guys or whatever.

Hopefully not. Idk how many score first PG’s who don’t play defense we gotta go thru before we realize they are not the answer. Dame will be 36 coming off a torn achilles. Pass.

He’s from Oakland. Wouldn’t be surprised if he signs with the Warriors

Of course they’re interested. But he’s not.

That’s a fuck no from me dawg

Dame is washed beyond belief we don’t want his bum ass

This screams “another amazing move by brad” if he makes it happen. If it’s true that he’d take a big cut to come here, and it’s approved, it’s a great deal.

It’s gonna be a long summer

I love it! “All-Achilles” frontcourt/backcourt!

I’m good.

Omg please no

It’s fine if they want to get Tatum a rehab partner but any fan expecting him to even be near Payton Pritchard as a player when he comes back might be expecting too much.

Injury Report update ³⁄₁₃:

Jayson Tatum - AVAILABLE

Damian Lillard - AVAILABLE

Is gonna hit like CRACK

Of the three teams named, if he wants to stick it to the Bucks; he joins the Celtics.

I’m not sure I’d want Dame unless it was super cheap

No thanks. He had his chance.

I know it won’t happen, but rehabbing with Tatum in the new state of the art Auerbach Center might actually be somewhat alluring. Glad we are at least showing interest

Why lol

It would be Kemba all over again but worse.

Love Dame. But he’s old and injured. Need to pass on this one.

They could rehab together

For like a minimum you could try it but eh, he’s almost certainly going to be at least another level worse, and you have Simons and Pritchard.

Dame would want too much money. We can’t go back into the second apron for him.

Highly skilled aging point guard with injury issues and questionable defense? Damn the Celtics have a type.

He needs to step up his D first

I don’t know how I feel about this…

Boston Blazers?

Man after the finals are over there really is a never ending stream of hot takes and crazy articles with no supporting facts, huh?

Go for it!!!

I know they sickkkkkkk

Hard pass wtf are we thinking

I think Dames days of 35 min/game are over. He’d be a fantastic veteran presence and great contributor 25-30 min… Like a small version of Al has been.

Gotta make the call! Def not happening tho. Why would you go anywhere other than SA, GS, HOU, MIA

Considering he is already getting paid 20+ mil a year by the bucks, maybe he would sign relatively cheap. Dame on a lower contract would be cool.

Why he’s old and he’ll be out the whole year or most of it

I’m sure a lot of teams are interested. Doubt he ends up in Boston.

I liked having a unit out there that could all defend, shoot the 3 and switch if needed. Let’s keep shooting for a roster that does that.

Why?

We don’t exactly have a great track record of rehabbing guards 😭

This is fun to think about but the likelihood that Dame comes back to a player even 75% as good as he was is super low given his age and size. He was already a defensive liability. Now he’s going to be even worse on defense and worse on offense.

Absolutely worth considering for the Celtics. Ideal situation would be for him to sign a 1y vet min deal basically to rehab with the Celtics for 2025-26 while he continues to get paid by the Bucks. Then he’ll be an UFA again. The plan would be to build goodwill with a player who might still be highly productive in his later years and whom you could possibly get on a new contract when JT also returns.

🧢

How does NBA salary work in situations like this? If someone sign him for say $20M/yr for 2 years does that reduce what the Bucks have to pay him?

Yesterday someone posted a thread asking if people thought we’d be interested in Dame and got downvoted to 0. Less than 24 hours later, a report that we ARE interested in him is upvoted in the hundreds.

Dame only fit was Portland

Intriguing but don’t know how they’re gonna cook those books to have a full roster

Nope 👎

Doesn’t seem appealing to Dame, tbh. 

I’m honestly all for it. Let him stay home and rehab.

Immediate boost for a title run after next year.

No thanks. Lillard doesn’t seem like a winner and I think he’d struggle in the JB/JT hierarchy of Boston. Doesn’t play hard on D and his star power may encourage younger/bench players to phone it in as well.

Anyway we can get Halli to complete the unholy trinity of Achilles heels rehabs?

Why would he want to come here now, after an injury? He didn’t want to play for Boston when he was originally traded…

I mean as long as he still has more left in the tank then when we signed Kemba, I’m on board. PP might be better though.

If one of the guys we get to fill out a roster spot at or near a vet minimum is Dame, I’m here for it.

Hey look it’s Lucy and the Football. Maybe something different will happen?

He’s going to LA

I live in Portland, but a Boston area native and lifelong Celtics fan (even before Bird’s time). He has also expressed interest in being back in PDX to be closer to his kids. Obviously this would mean his chances for a championship will be dramatically less (huge understatement) but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.

That said, I think Dame would be a net-net positive for the Cs. The team does not have to spend a ton on a contract for him to sign. Having him and JT finishing rehab and training together is a great thing to JT. Dame Time in the Garden would be fun.

if we out here dreaming, dream for a big

I feel like he would fit in well

Score first point guards, PLUS back end of career. Hard no. God no. I’ve seen it at every level from high school to nba. Score first point guards only get a team so far. He doesnt shoot 40% from three. The only thing having us talking about this is the fact the mans name is Damian Lillard and that has nostalgia.

It would likely be on a two year deal for the minimum, literally no downside at that point.

Found it interesting that one of the reports said Brad views PP as our starting point guard and would be looking for Dame to be that scorer off the bench

Maybe we can capitalize off another Bucks PG mistake. They pay him the big bucks and we can a low risk flyer on Dame.

Not really a big fan if true. Itd be an expensive guy to have for him to not play the whole year.

I remember after the 2023 playoffs when we lost to the heat I said we needed to trade Jaylen for Dame lmao. Thank God I’m not a GM cause look where we are now

Bit surprised how few people seem to understand what “Torn achilles” actually means

Fucking why?