Jason Tatum Recruits Lillard While Recovering from Surgery

Jason Tatum is stepping up his recruiting game amid his recovery from a tough Achilles surgery.

The Celtics star is keen on enticing Damian Lillard to join him in Boston, particularly after Lillard’s recent split from the Milwaukee Bucks.

Both Tatum and Lillard sustained Achilles injuries during the NBA playoffs and will likely miss a significant portion, if not all, of the 2025-26 season.

The Boston front office has made changes to its roster following a second-round exit against the Knicks, a year after securing the championship. They’ve brought in Jeru Holiday and Chris Tap Sporzingis to revamp the team.

Lillard recently celebrated his 35th birthday on July 15, but the Bucks decided to part ways with him, opting instead for longtime Pacers center Miles Turner.

Given that the Bucks are set to pay Lillard $22 million annually for the next five years, his ongoing recovery makes it complicated for him to sign with another team quickly.

It remains uncertain how Lillard’s body will adapt after such a severe injury at this stage in his career, yet Boston seems eager to secure him on a multi-year deal to pair him with Tatum, Jalen Brown, and Derrick White.

Last season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc across 58 games.

He has been an All-Star for the past three seasons, and his last season’s averages were quite similar to his career stats—25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. Notably, his shooting percentages slightly improved, rising from 43.9% and 37.1% in previous seasons.

In the playoff series against Milwaukee’s Pacers, Lillard’s performance included 14 points in Game 1 and 7 in Game 2 before struggling with a scoreless effort in Game 3, after which he suffered the Achilles injury.