[Oram] The Trail Blazers are open to the possibility of Damian Lillard returning this season — possibly in this series against the Spurs.
>However implausible it may seem, the franchise has not completely ruled out the possibility that Lillard could make a surprise appearance in the postseason this year, multiple sources said. Obviously, the longer its run lasts, the more realistic such a long-shot scenario becomes.
>Monday will mark one year since Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against Indiana. That was 13 days before Jayson Tatum, who returned to play on March 6, tore his Achilles tendon.
>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.
>You can only imagine the Moda Center roar if Lillard were to run out of the tunnel in uniform, let alone check into a game. The very idea of it summons memories of Brandon Roy’s gutsy return to the court in the 2011 playoffs just eight days after arthroscopic surgery to repair his meniscus.
>It would be an iconic reintroduction for Lillard, who has not played in a Portland uniform since March 22, 2023.