What is Bucks guard Damian Lillard's injury status heading into the NBA playoffs?

This story has been updated with new information.

The Milwaukee Bucks will begin a playoff series for the second consecutive season without one of their best players and all-stars, as point guard Damian Lillard remains out indefinitely after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.

Initially thought to be a calf strain suffered on or around March 18, the swelling in Lillard's calf was abnormal enough to warrant further testing. The team announced that a blood clot was found on March 25. Lillard immediately began treatment, which includes the use of blood thinners.

On April 15, the Bucks released another update that said Lillard has "made significant improvement on his deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. He will continue to increase his on-court basketball activity."

“Damian’s most recent weekly scan shows that his injury has significantly improved which will enable him to move ahead safely with increased basketball activity,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in the statement. “Damian’s health remains our No. 1 priority. We have followed strict protocols and will continue to do so. We are pleased with the positive news about Damian’s progress.”

According to head coach Doc Rivers, the increased basketball activity meant Lillard can run skeleton drills (plays), do more shooting and can exert himself more. No contact is allowed, however. Lillard had been able to shoot and do some light running up to this point, so this latest update continues an encouraging trend.

Lillard, who will turn 35 in mid-July, is expected to make a full recovery and resume his career.

When that is, however, remains undetermined, as a league source told the Journal Sentinel he will not be cleared to play as the Bucks begin the playoffs on April 19 in Indianapolis. Lillard has not traveled with the team since the diagnosis, either, as being sedentary for too long is not ideal for his condition.

As for a potential return at all during the opening round Rivers said, "Well, I mean we're hopeful, you know. We're just following the protocols and so we'll see. But we don't know yet."

Over the last decade, only one NBA player has returned to play in the same season following the discovery of a blood clot: Mirza Teletović.

Teletović was a role player for Brooklyn in 2014-15, averaging about 22 minutes per game off the bench when he was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) in January 2015. He returned to the court three months later in April but played a total of 16 minutes over three playoff games.

Unfortunately, Teletović again suffered from blood clots in his lungs in 2017 while a member of the Bucks and the diagnosis ended his career.

Chris Bosh returned from a pulmonary embolism diagnosed in February 2015 to play the following season, but the diagnosis of DVT in his leg exactly a year after his first diagnosis also ended his career.

More recently, Brandon Ingram (shoulder, March 2019) and Ausar Thompson (lungs, March 2024) returned to play the following season.

Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with DVT in his right shoulder in February, and he is anticipated to return to play next season.

Understanding that history – that return to play is typically six-to-eight months later – Rivers was asked on April 5 why he remained optimistic Lillard could return before the Bucks’ playoff run is over.

"(The timeline) definitely has changed, medically,” Rivers said that day in Miami. “Which is good. The location of it is very important as well. And it is, it's lower. But, it still could be six months. We just don't know."

Damian Lillard playoffs

This could be the second straight year the point guard will miss games in the postseason due to his health. Last year, he missed two of the team's six first-round games in the series loss to the Indiana Pacers while battling an Achilles injury.

He averaged 31.3 points in the four games he played.

Damian Lillard stats

Here are Damian Lillard's stats this season. His 24.9 points per game are 10th highest in the NBA and his 92.1% free-throwing shooting is second-best:

• Games: 58
• Minutes: 36.1
• Points: 24.9
• FG%: 44.8%
• 3P%: 37.6%
• FT%: 92.1%
• Rebounds: 4.7
• Assists: 7.1
• Steals: 1.2