If it wasn’t already obvious, the Portland Trail Blazers franchise has no intentions of doing whatever they can to win another game this season.
That process includes sitting Damian Lillard for the rest of the season.
Multiple NBA sources have confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive that the Blazers will not play Lillard again this season. The Blazers (32-43) have seven games remaining, three at the Moda Center including two this week against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday and Friday.
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes first reported that the Blazers have shut down Lillard, however, it has been more than obvious since he didn’t play in the games following the team’s win March 22 at Utah.
Also extremely unlikely to play again this season are Anfernee Simons (foot soreness), Jusuf Nurkic (knee) and Jerami Grant (quad bruise).
The obvious conclusion is that the Blazers hope to remain owners of at best the sixth-worst record in the NBA while having a chance at finishing with the fifth-worst record.
The difference is found in lottery ping pong balls. The team with the fifth-worst record will have a 10.5% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. The team with the sixth-worst record will have a 9% chance.
The projected No. 1 pick is 7-foot-4 center/forward Victor Wembanyama, 19, out of France.
However, the Blazers might never use their lottery pick. This offseason, the Blazers plan to aggressively enter the trade market in an attempt to land a big-ticket star to pair with Lillard. Having a lottery pick, plus the New York Knicks’ first-round pick should they reach the playoffs, will give the Blazers two key pieces to dangle as trade bait.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
