Pistons Rival Damian Lillard Dealing With Significant Setback

Damian Lillard's absence could have a major impact on the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dec 3, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) controls the ball against Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Beyond the top two seeds, the Eastern Conference playoff picture could have a lot of movement over the next few weeks. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons are half a game away from swapping seeds.

As the Pistons continued their Tuesday night matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, the Milwaukee Bucks received unfortunate news regarding Damian Lillard. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Lillard will be out indefinitely.

via @ShamsCharania: Milwaukee Bucks: Damian Lillard has sustained a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf. Lillard is on blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the blood clot, and will continue with regular testing. He is out indefinite period.

Milwaukee Bucks: Damian Lillard has sustained a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf. Lillard is on blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the blood clot, and will continue with regular testing. He is out indefinite period. pic.twitter.com/CC7k9bXnZV

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 26, 2025

The Bucks haven’t had Lillard on the court since their March 18 matchup against the Golden State Warriors. At the time, Lillard checked in for 38 minutes. He scored 16 points and dished out four assists in the 104-93 loss against the Warriors.

Since then, Lillard missed three games in a row and was on pace to miss his fourth against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Lillard was ruled out with a calf-related setback before his latest diagnosis was revealed in several reports.

via @ChrisBHaynes: Damian Lillard to me on his diagnosis:“It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up. Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m grateful the Bucks acted quickly on this. They’ve been supportive and proactive throughout this process. I look forward to moving past this and continuing my career.”

Damian Lillard to me on his diagnosis:“It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up. Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m…

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 26, 2025

The Pistons know just how serious Lillard’s setback can be. Last year, Detroit had to shut down the then-rookie Ausar Thompson for a similar reason. Thompson was ruled out on March 11 and didn’t make his sophomore debut this year until the Pistons were 18 games deep.

The Bucks don’t have a timeline in place for Lillard, but the assumption is that he could miss the rest of the season. It’s no secret Lillard has been critical to Milwaukee’s success. In 58 games, Lillard averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists this year.

The absence of Lillard could have a major impact on several teams’ playoff push.