An opportunity has arisen out of nowhere for the Golden State Warriors to make their next superstar addition, with 9x All-Star Damian Lillard suddenly available after he was shockingly waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
The idea of Lillard being an unrestricted free agent seemed incomprehensible 36 hours ago, but that's now the rather joyous reality for the 34-year-old as he recovers from a devastating torn achilles suffered during the Bucks first-round series loss to the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors could present a strong pitch to Damian Lillard
Golden State have wasted no time registering their interest in Lillard following the stunning news on Tuesday, with the franchise already viewed as a potential next home for the veteran guard.
Given his injury, Lillard can now take his time before choosing his next destination. He could even wait till the middle of next season closer to his return, but Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic report that the Warriors are among the teams that would like to sign Lillard sooner rather than later.
"Not surprisingly, league sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’ ending broke. League sources say the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later," The Athletic reported.
The Warriors have a few things working in their favor in any Lillard pursuit. For starters, the ability to head home to the Bay Area and play for his hometown team could be a major appeal, and so too the ability to reconnect with Golden State assistant Terry Stotts who coached Lillard for his first nine years at the Portland Trail Blazers.
We also can't forget that when Lillard initially requested a trade from the Trail Blazers in 2023, his desire was to get to the Miami Heat to play alongside and be the co-star to...you guessed it...Jimmy Butler.
Then there's the rivalry turned potential union with Stephen Curry. The pair have been so often linked as the two most dynamic shooters of the last decade, making for real intrigue on how Lillard would feel about playing alongside Curry, and vice-versa for that matter.
There's real concern on how Lillard will return from his achilles injury, and how he would ultimately fit with the Warriors as a small guard with questionable defense. However, if you get a chance to sign a legitimate superstar player on a cheap contract, it's very difficult not to take on those risks and the opportunity that presents itself.