It remains in pipe dream territory for now, but it should be noted that there's a nonzero chance Damian Lillard suits up at some point during the Trail Blazers' playoff run.
Lillard is already listed as out for Game 3's pivotal matchup against San Antonio. It would be shocking if he's somehow back in time for either of Portland's games in front of the Moda Center crowd.
Dame has always made it clear that his timeline to return is the start of the 2026-27 season. Still, that hasn't stopped Portland from teasing a return to action.
Most recently, it was Tiago Splitter's half-joking response of "probably not" when asked if Lillard would play in their series against San Antonio. That speculation was further fueled by the Blazers' video of Lillard shooting on the Spurs' court, with an eyes emoji as the caption.
Could Portland actually get Damian Lillard back in time?
But it goes well beyond just teasing Lillard's return at this point. It's "not impossible" that Lillard does actually return before this season reaches its conclusion, Bill Oram of The Oregonian/OregonLive reports.
"A source said Lillard is 'close' and that his return before the end of the postseason is 'not impossible.' Any appearance would need to be in a later round or 'deep, deep' in the series against the Spurs. At a minimum, the team is being open-minded about the possibility," Oram writes.
Lillard and the Blazers have been aligned with his patient rehab approach. While they shouldn't rush into anything if he's not 100 percent, it's encouraging that they are at least open-minded about the possibility of a return.
A top-75 player of all-time would at least help even the playing field going up against a 7-foot-4 alien later in the series. Still, there are plenty of question marks surrounding that hypothetical scenario, so we must temper our expectations.
Most importantly, Portland has to find a way to extend the series with Wembanyama's return looming. Then, Lillard has to not only be ready to return but also return to form enough to make a meaningful impact. Some rust would be inevitable, even for a player of his caliber, and Portland wouldn't have the luxury of getting him back up to speed.
Sneaking into the second round would solve many of these problems, giving them more time to get Lillard adjusted. But I'm not sure how Portland survives the first round against a San Antonio team of this caliber unless they have a superstar of their own.
Nonetheless, it's a surprising update that's worth monitoring, especially if the Blazers do find a way to extend the series and buy Lillard more time.
Their next opportunity to do so comes on Friday, with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at the Moda Center.
Add us as a preferred source on Google