If there's one executive around the league not to count out, it's Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics.
All Stevens has shown over the past few years since he took over for the Celtics is that he knows how to evaluate talent.
For other teams around the league, they're certainly jealous the Celtics have somebody like that in control.
Ultimately, he has some tough decisions to make over the next year or two, given the current state of the roster and Jayson Tatum's injury, but Stevens has made the right moves so far.
The team will have to make other tough decisions, and one of them could be signing a former Milwaukee Bucks star, Damian Lillard.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Lillard once didn't want to play for the Celtics when he initially requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. However, according to Washburn, he's now open to playing with Tatum and the Celtics.
“One team Lillard has interest in joining is the Boston Celtics,” Washburn wrote. “And the Celtics reportedly have shared interest in teaming up with the veteran point guard.”
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“When Lillard was seeking a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago, he wasn’t interested in a trade to Boston,” Washburn continued. “Now, Lillard has some interest in the Celtics, in part because of the close friendship he’s built with star forward Jayson Tatum.”
Lillard and Tatum have a great relationship, so this pairing could make sense. It remains uncertain how the Celtics would go about this, as they already have a few ball-dominant players in their starting rotation.
To suggest that Lillard is a backup, even coming off an Achilles injury, is unfair.