For a brief moment during the NBA Draft lottery, it looked like the Portland Trail Blazers had a chance to pair Victor Wembanyama with Damian Lillard. And how much Dame wishes it to be true.
Lillard expressed as much as he responded to a tweet that raised the possibility of him and Wembanyama suiting up together in Portland. While resharing the tweet that says “Could it be Vic and Dame??”, Lillard said “If so…”
If so… https://t.co/MiztFAPR5X
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 17, 2023
It would have been incredible for the Blazers had it happened. They entered the draft lottery with the fifth-best odds to land the no. 1 pick, and after the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets fell on the draft boards, many had high hopes Portland would be able to steal the top selection.
Unfortunately, as everyone knows, the Blazers ended with the no. 3 pick. The Charlotte Hornets secured the no. 2 slot, while the San Antonio Spurs got the first pick. Portland got so close, though, missing out on just one ball that would have landed them the rights to pick Wembanyama.
For what it's worth, getting the third pick isn't bad at all for the Blazers. While it's unlikely the Lillard-Wembanyama pairing will ever happen, at least they have a chance to select Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson. The Thompson Twins aren't a bad pick as well.
But hey, at least Damian Lillard and Blazers fans got to dream about it even for just a moment. However, it's time to get back to reality now.