Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will represent the organization at the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday in Chicago, Illinois. The team enlisted his son, Damian Lillard Jr., to make the announcement.
The Trail Blazers enter the lottery slotted sixth after finishing with a 27-55 record. They have a 9% chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a 37.2% chance of jumping up in the top four. They have the highest odds of receiving the seventh selection (29.8%).
Portland narrowly missed out on a second lottery pick after acquiring it from the New Orleans Pelicans in the trade involving CJ McCollum. The Trail Blazers needed it to fall between picks No. 5 and 14 but, because the Pelicans made the playoffs, it dropped to 15th and they will not get it.
ATTN EVERYONE: Dame Jr has an announcement 🥰@dame_lillard | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/i1NWnlaeoX
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 12, 2022
Coincidentally enough, McCollum was the last player the Trail Blazers drafted in the lottery. They took him with the 10th pick in 2013 out of Lehigh. They were slotted 10th that year and did not move up or down in the lottery.
The Trail Blazers had a down 2021-22 season with Lillard missing most of it due to injury. The team made a few trades in an effort to look ahead and build around Lillard and Anfernee Simons. The organization is hoping Lillard can bring it some luck and obtain a high pick.
The draft lottery is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
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