Damian Lillard is improving, but he remains out indefinitely as the Milwaukee Bucks begin the NBA playoffs this weekend.
The team issued a medical update concerning Lillard on Tuesday on the heels of reports that stated he would miss the start of the team’s 2025 postseason run. Lillard missed the final 14 games of the regular season after experiencing deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot) in his right calf last month.
The Bucks expressed optimism about their star point guard’s recovery process on Tuesday and noted he would continue to increase his on-court basketball activity. But General Manager Jon Horst offered no specific timetable for Lillard’s potential return ahead of the playoffs. But a league source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Lillard will not be cleared to play in time for the start of the postseason.
The Bucks are scheduled to begin their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Damian Lillard injury status
Lillard’s exact path to medical clearance and a return for the playoffs is still unclear.
“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,” Horst said in a 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.”
Tuesday’s update concerning Lillard follows positive reports in recent weeks from Bucks coach Doc Rivers. Lillard appeared in 58 games during his second season playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, and averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists.
The Bucks began last year’s NBA playoffs without Antetokounmpo in the lineup and then were beaten by the Pacers in their 2024 first-round series when Antetokounmpo could not return in time to play.
Lillard’s injury was initially thought to be a calf strain. His initial treatment after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis included the use of blood thinners. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs, according to the Mayo Clinic.