Celtics Just Got Possible Assist from East Threat in Pursuit of Recent All-Star

Boston Celtics fans witnessed another big NBA trade on Monday as a three-team deal involving four well-known veterans was reportedly agreed upon by the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Utah Jazz.

While the players changing teams all have a history against the Celtics, one way or another, Boston may be a winner in its own right as a trade involving three other teams has left the Celtics in a better position to land one of the top available free agents linked to the franchise.

BREAKING: The Clippers, Jazz and Heat have agreed to a trade that sends Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to Los Angeles, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o0FkV0o2l8

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025

Nothing is a guarantee when it comes to the NBA offseason, but there is no doubt that Boston can offer a more enticing fit from a basketball perspective than one of their chief rivals in the East.

Celtics Just Got Possible Assist from Heat in Pursuit of Damian Lillard

The Celtics have been rumored to be in pursuit of newly minted free agent point guard Damian Lillard after the Milwaukee Bucks elected to use the rarely used stretch provision in the league's CBA to get the veteran off of the roster without using up all their cap space this summer.

As fans in Boston know all too well, Lillard is dealing with an Achilles injury he suffered during the opening round of the NBA playoffs and will, likely, spend all of the 2025-26 season rehabbing, much like Jayson Tatum. We previously made the case for why having Lillard on the roster, alongside Tatum throughout that rehab process, is something the Celtics should push for.

Now, they can thank Pat Riley and the Heat for giving Lillard a basketball reason to do the same. Acquiring Norman Powell makes Miami a better team in the here and now, but he is also a scorer who is joining a roster full of other players with score-first, pass-later mentalities. Sharing a backcourt with two players who combine to average less than five assists per game means the ball is more likely to stop once it touches the hands of Herro or Powell.

Lillard is one of the most effective scoring guards of his generation and will want to be the one running the show wherever he ultimately decides to continue his career. The likelihood that he finds that opportunity in South Beach seems highly unlikely if he's sharing the backcourt with the likes of Powell, who undoubtedly will be re-signed and not a one-year rental in Miami, and Tyler Herro.

This in no way means Lillard is a lock to wind up on the Celtics. However, given the mutual interest the two sides share, these are the types of moves from teams that would potentially be in direct competition for Lillard's services that only help Boston's cause.