April 17: Although Lillard has been ruled out for Game 1 of the Bucks/Pacers series on Saturday, he has been cleared of his deep vein thrombosis and is no longer taking blood-thinning medication, sources tell Charania (Twitter links). It’s a remarkable turnaround for the veteran point guard, who will resume contact workouts and ramp up toward a return, Charania adds.
According to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links), Lillard played three-on-three on Wednesday and practiced on Thursday.
April 15: Bucks star Damian Lillard, who was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf last month, has made “significant progress” in his recovery but won’t be available when the first round of the playoffs tip off this weekend, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
As Charania details, there’s still optimism that Lillard will be medically cleared to return at some point before Milwaukee’s season ends. The star point guard will continue to increase his basketball activities this week.
The Bucks confirmed Charania’s update, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
“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,” general manager Jon 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.”
Lillard has been on the shelf since March 18. Reporting one week later indicated that he had been diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf and was on blood-thinning medication. He was ruled out indefinitely at that time, with one report stating there was a “great deal of optimism” that he’d be able to return at some point this spring.
Health issues have contributed to the Bucks’ first-round exit in each of the last two postseasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo has only been available for three of 11 playoff games during that time, and Lillard was forced to the sidelines for two games in last year’s first-round loss to Indiana.
While Antetokounmpo is healthy entering this year’s rematch with the Pacers, not having Lillard available figures to adversely affect the Bucks’ chances of advancing to round two.
Lillard earned his ninth All-Star nod in his second season in Milwaukee in 2024/25, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 36.1 minutes per game across 58 starts. He recorded a shooting line of .448/.376/.921, improving on the percentages he posted during his first year as a Buck in ’23/24.