RUMOR: Jayson Tatum’s failed attempt to lure Damian Lillard away from Heat trade, revealed
Apparently, Jayson Tatum tried to recruit Blazers star Damian Lillard to the Celtics and prevent him from going to the Heat.
It’s no secret that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard wants a trade. The seven-time All-Star is not looking for a rebuild, but rather a shot at an NBA championship, and he believes he can seriously contend with the Miami Heat. Although the Heat haven’t worked a deal for Lillard yet, it’s clear that they’re the frontrunners to land the skilled guard. However, that didn’t stop Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum from trying to recruit his fellow No. 0.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24657593/1490149629.jpg)
Tatum has apparently reached out to Lillard over the phone in an attempt to get him to Boston, per NBA writer Marc Spears. On a sports podcast with The Oregonian, Spears mentioned that Tatum actually called Lillard directly. In spite of his pursuit, Lillard still seems more interested in Miami than Boston.
“I know Jayson Tatum’s called [Damian Lillard],” Spears said. “Tried to get in his ear. But [Lillard’s] focus is definitely on Miami.”
Tatum has apparently reached out to Lillard over the phone in an attempt to get him to Boston, per NBA writer Marc Spears. On a sports podcast with The Oregonian, Spears mentioned that Tatum actually called Lillard directly. In spite of his pursuit, Lillard still seems more interested in Miami than Boston.
“I know Jayson Tatum’s called [Damian Lillard],” Spears said. “Tried to get in his ear. But [Lillard’s] focus is definitely on Miami.”
As it stands, the Celtics and Heat are arguably the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. They’ve faced off against one another in three of the last four Conference Finals and have three combined NBA Finals appearances since 2020. While neither squad was able to win it all in that span, perhaps Lillard is the missing piece they both desire.
For Boston though, Lillard doesn’t make as much sense. The C’s just locked down star guard Jaylen Brown to a massive contract and invested a ton of money in him and new center Kristaps Porzingis. If their front office really believed they had a shot at Lillard, they probably wouldn’t have provided Brown with the richest contract in league history.
Regardless of where Lillard ends up, the Celtics-Heat rivalry doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. In fact, the Celtics will host the Heat early on in the 2023-24 NBA season on October 27th.