Of course, there are important caveats in the potential plans for both the Celtics and Lillard. From the player’s perspective, Lillard is — like Celtics star Jayson Tatum — currently rehabbing a ruptured Achilles tendon (sustained during a first-round playoff series in April).

The Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams interested in Damian Lillard, per @TheAthletic “Not surprisingly, league sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’… pic.twitter.com/bkokY3QTMd

When the Celtics sold to new ownership, it was apparent that the current core would be changed. It's an unfortunate reality and Boston was facing major penalties due to the second apron of the luxury tax.