Dame refuses to play without 'true opportunity' to make playoffs

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While the possibility of NBA play this season grows by the day, there's no guarantee that Damian Lillard will suit up if the current campaign resumes.

When the league went on hiatus, the Portland Trail Blazers trailed the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by 3 1/2 games. The All-Star guard refuses to play if his team doesn't get a shot at a postseason berth.

"If we come back and they're just like, 'We're adding a few games to finish the regular season,' and they're throwing us out there for meaningless games and we don't have a true opportunity to get into the playoffs, I'm going to be with my team because I'm a part of the team," Lillard told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. "But I'm not going to be participating. I'm telling you that right now. And you can put that (expletive) in there."

In the event of a return, the NBA has yet to decide if it'll go straight into the playoffs or play out some of the remaining regular-season games.

At the time of the league's stoppage, teams had played between 63 and 67 contests. However, reaching the 70-game mark would fulfill all clubs' regional television deals.

A play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots in each conference is another option. Lillard's Blazers are tied with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings for the West's 9-seed. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are just a 1/2 game behind the aforementioned trio.

"If we come back and I don't have an opportunity to make the playoffs, I will show up to work, I'll be at practice, and I'll be with my team. I'm going to do all that (expletive) and then I'm going to be sitting right on that bench during the games," Lillard said. "If they come back and say it's something like a tournament, play-in style, between the No. 7 and No. 12 seeds, if we're playing for playoff spots, then I think that's perfect."