Thoughts on Celtics Trades Finalizing and the Damian Lillard Pursuit

The Celtics finalized the Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, Luka Garza and Josh Minott additions on Monday to round out their roster with 15 standard contracts. In an adjustment first reported by the Oregonian, the Blazers removed the two second round picks reportedly heading to Boston due to concerns about Jrue Holiday’s physical. The issue didn’t prove significant enough to nix the deal, what would have been a potential disaster for the Celtics’ attempt to reset their finances.

Those challenges still exist after Boston welcomed Simons and Niang to the team after widely reported interest in re-trading the players who returned for Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, respectively. Boston sits about $300,000 over the second apron, $19 million over the luxury tax line and can’t aggregate Simons or Niang’s salaries in a larger trade for 60 days. Despite an apparent need emerging at center following Porziņģis and Luke Kornet’s departures — and Al Horford likely following them — the Boston Globe reported no follow-up move is imminent.

“Anfernee is a really good young player who has continuously improved in his seven years in the NBA,” Brad Stevens said in a statement. “Georges is no stranger to Boston and has continuously been a winning player over the course of his career. We are excited to add both of them to the team.”

Barring an unforeseen development, the Celtics appear poised to begin the season with Payton Pritchard emerging in Holiday’s place, Sam Hauser and Niang spacing the floor alongside Jaylen Brown, while Neemias Queta leads a cast of unproven centers. Amari Williams said as much in his introduction last week, with the two-way rookie as much in the mix for competing for minutes as any teammate at the moment.

“It’s fun being able to learn from the older guys (like) Queta, who’s been here for quite a while,” Williams said. “Just being a sponge and learning as the season goes on. It’ll be a fun year for sure.”

Damian Lillard could join the roster, and the Globe indicated shared interest between the star and the Celtics. The initial Lillard reporting connected him to Boston, Golden State and the Lakers, who hoped to sign him sooner rather than later. That’s still possible for the Celtics, since offsetting salary rules make a minimum contract sensible for the veteran as he recovers from achilles surgery, allowing the Bucks to cover most of his 2025-26 salary. There’s still some question regarding whether he would want to rehab with a team through 2026, or on his own. He’s an Oakland native and his family remained in Portland after the Blazers traded him in 2023, which could point toward a west coast preference. Lillard could also wait to sign until next summer to set up a greater salary guarantee in 2027-28 and beyond, since his Bucks salary only offsets through 2026-27.

Lillard fits in Boston even if he doesn’t play their biggest position of need. The Celtics, given Jayson Tatum’s nearly exact timeline, can remain patient with both achilles recoveries until they’re completely ready. The Warriors and Lakers might have timelines too short in 2026, building around Steph Curry and LeBron James, to wait and pay tax on a 35-year-old who may not play this season. Of course, if Lillard waits to sign until closer to next summer, those situations could emerge as more compelling. Golden State could have two contending seasons left between Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford, who’s been strongly connected to the Warriors in free agency.

The basketball fit for Lillard in Boston is clear. Tatum previously played a floor-stretching role for the Celtics that Lillard would thrive in. The Celtics had Tatum shoot large numbers of pull-up threes to pull defenders higher and free his teammates. Lillard ranks among the greatest shooters from distance in NBA history, returning to 37.6% on 9.0 three-point attempts per game while maintaining a 7.1 assist and 2.8 turnover per game average. That’s despite playing in an awkward role taking turns alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston would need to prioritize getting him more on-ball and pick-and-roll opportunities than Milwaukee did, while Lillard would need to embrace more competitiveness on the defensive end. The Bucks’ defense slid while playing him even with Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez defending behind him. The Celtics haven’t started a weak link since 2021.

Regardless, if he commits to a role and fits in alongside Tatum, Brown and Pritchard — who’s worth mentioning since he could start this year — as a personality, there’s next to no downside to having Lillard join the team on a minimum. Would Lillard actually sign that contract? There’s understandably no rush on his part.

For the Celtics — Bill Chisholm’s first media availability as Celtics owner would look better alongside Lillard.

Other thoughts on the NBA offseason so far…

• The Warriors have $36 million in room between nine players under the second apron hard cap that signing Horford for the mid-level would activate. It’s no surprise that they’re remaining patient as they address the Jonathan Kuminga situation. His contract or the sign-and-trade they execute could fill up to or beyond $20 million of that figure. That appears increasingly unlikely as his market dries up, though Golden State might have to avoid the scenario where he signs the qualifying offer ($7M) and earns a no-trade clause that would allow him to entirely dictate his future before entering unrestricted free agency in 2026. The Jonas Valančiūnas situation looks settled in Denver, which would close the door on that as a destination for Horford, though it was an enticing one playing alongside Nikola Jokić. The Lakers paid Jaxson Hayes enough to eliminate their bi-annual exception, taking them out of the Horford race.
• Despite talks of retirement, SF Standard’s Danny Emerman said on The Garden Report that Horford isn’t expected to retire despite reports that option remains on the table. Knowing Horford and those close to him, that would surprise me at this point too. He recently saw himself having multiple seasons left, with no immediate plans to end his career. The Celtics aren’t in a great position to retain him, and while playing for a team that may not contend in 2026 doesn’t make the most sense for Horford, why not embrace a return on the MLE if he’ll accept it? The team needs some stability at the position beyond next year and can manage him aggressively. Perhaps that’s a Horford resignation, who can argue he should still start games.
• The Spurs introduced Kornet on Monday, who expressed excitement about backing up and playing alongside Victor Wembanyama in a role similar to what he played in Boston. Michael Scotto reported the fine details on Kornet’s contract: a declining salary structure, a $2.5 million guarantee in year three before a fourth-year team option. That only guarantees $24 million. The Celtics could’ve reached five-years and roughly $20 million by offering the minimum alone. Boston will miss Kornet’s rim protection, defensive versatility, heady and unselfish play style alongside his infectious personality.
• The Nets’ cap space dried up this week, and while sizable trade exceptions could allow them to absorb salary from the Celtics, look to teams with mid-level space and roster needs like Utah, Milwaukee, Indiana and Philadelphia as more likely destinations for Boston salary dumps at this point. More shedding is inevitable for the Celtics, whether it happens now or later, though as we’ve stressed here: second apron and luxury tax penalties don’t get finalized until the end of the season. Boston has until the deadline to avoid them. The Celtics can slide beneath the second apron line by waiving JD Davison’s non-guaranteed deal.
• One option for Boston to move Simons disappeared when the Clippers acquired John Collins from Utah. The need for a scoring guard across the league doesn’t appear substantial, and the Celtics might prove the best situation for him to play significant minutes and strengthen his value this season. He’ll need to defend.
• That’s my biggest question with this Celtics roster at the moment. They’ll score. How will the generate stops? The centers between Queta, Garza and Williams aren’t strong rim protectors. Minott brings some disruptiveness around the rim, but didn’t need to play the five defensively in Minnesota. Inconsistency at that position would disrupt any hope of exceeding expectations this season.
• Those expectations? Boston’s over-under is 43.5, which ranks them seventh in the east. That’s fair.