The Portland Trail Blazers made a huge blockbuster trade back in February, sending CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for mostly draft compensation. But, Damian Lillard and the Blazers were really hoping they would land NOLA's first-round pick for the 2022 draft or in other words, between the 5 and 14 spots in the lottery.
Once the Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Clippers though and booked their ticket to the NBA Playoffs as the No. 8 seed, the pick was no longer going to be a reality for Portland. In fact, Dame actually wanted the Pels to lose at first, but now that his good buddy CJ is in the postseason doing his thing, he's cheering them on.
I wanted them to lose so we got their pick but once that was over … of course i wana see em win 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/GA6oEijkYC
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 25, 2022




The Blazers star is sitting at home actually hoping McCollum and New Orleans beat the top-seeded Phoenix Suns and it honestly feels like it could happen. The Pelicans are tied 2-2 with Monty Williams' squad now, blowing them out in Game 4 on Sunday night.
The Blazers meanwhile will be looking to make a major splash this summer to build around Lillard. While it seems like they did clean house at the trade deadline, Portland is more trying to retool, not rebuild. It will be interesting to see what moves they're able to make in free agency and the draft.