Damian Lillard’s move from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks could not have gone much worse.
The Bucks were not on Lillard’s shortlist of trade destinations, but at least he could form an amazing duo with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Unfortunately, Antetokounmpo was dealing with an injury in last year’s playoffs, and Lillard suffered a torn Achilles this season.
Milwaukee then decided to waive Lillard to free up cap space for Myles Turner, leaving him out of contract.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are among several teams reportedly interested in signing the point guard, even though he probably won’t play next season.
However, former All-Star Jeff Teague wants Lillard to reject those cornerstone franchises in favor of another organization.
Damian Lillard told which team to sign for after Milwaukee Bucks exit
Teague’s biggest issue with Lillard potentially going to the Celtics, Lakers, or another contending team is that they won’t truly “care” about him.
At best, he would be the third or fourth option on a championship team, and at worst, it could be another situation like the Bucks.
Teague has urged Lillard to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he is already loved, and there will be no pressure to succeed.
“Go back to the Blazers, bro. He’s already got a nice home there. He loves it there. He still lives there in the summer. It’s not meant to be. He already tried [ring chasing] in Milwaukee.
“Go back where you’re celebrated and you’re the franchise leader. Just go and retire a Blazer, bro. He’s coming back off an Achilles.
“You don’t know how he’s going to bounce back from that Achilles. He might be… Try it out as a Blazer. Nobody is going to be mad at you with the Blazers. Nobody is going to say…
“He didn’t want to leave. He tried to win. He tried to come back, and they were like, ‘Nah, bro, we’ve already been down this road.’ He made a mistake.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. He already tried. He just played with a top-20 greatest player of all time, and it didn’t work out. I’m going back to be the greatest Blazer of all time.
“If you go to the Celtics… nobody is going to care about you. Nobody is going to care about you on the Rockets. Nobody is going to care about you on the Warriors. Nobody is going to care about you on the Lakers.
“On the Blazers, you’re a legend. You’re everything. Go back. Ring chasing might just not be for Dame.”
Boston Celtics make more sense than LA Lakers for Damian Lillard
Should Lillard decide to ignore Teague’s advice and join another contending team, the Celtics would make much more sense than the Lakers.
Even if LeBron James has retired or switched teams by the 2026-27 season, the Lakers will still have a dominant ball-handler in Luka Doncic.
Lillard would either have to come off the bench or be an awkward fit in the backcourt alongside the Slovenian superstar.
By contrast, the Celtics’ two best players are forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both are capable of handling the ball but also work well alongside a true point guard.
Plus, there might not be a better guard in the NBA to make up for Lillard’s defensive deficiencies than Derrick White.
