Bucks’ Damian Lillard To Miss Start Of 2025 Playoffs With Blood Clot

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will miss the start of the 2025 playoffs. 

Lillard has a blood clot in his calf. 

Lillard has, however, made significant progress with the blood clot and there remains optimism for his clearance at some point in the playoffs, sources said. He is continuing to increase basketball activity this week. https://t.co/NqriR7quSL

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2025

The Bucks face the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana beat Milwaukee in the first round of the 2024 postseason in six games. 

Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the Bucks this season in 58 games. He shot 44.8% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 92.1% from the free-throw line. 

The last time we heard from Lillard was on March 25. He issued the following statement to NBA insider Chris Haynes about his health: 

“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.”

Lillard has career averages of 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists with the Portland Trail Blazers and Bucks. 

Milwaukee acquired Lillard from Portland in 2023. Lillard is averaging 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 131 games with the Bucks, who won the championship in 2021 but haven’t even gotten back to the Eastern Conference Finals since then. 

The Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 playoffs and the Pacers in the first round of last year’s postseason.