The Milwaukee Bucks were dealt a devastating blow on Tuesday when it was announced that nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard has suffered deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.
Essentially, Lillard has a blood clot in his calf and is medically unable to play while he takes blood thinners to address the issue.
This very same injury knocked Victor Wembanyama out for the season a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, Pistons wing Ausar Thompson missed time early in the campaign as he recovered from DVT. The history of blood clotting issues in the NBA does not bode well for Lillard's postseason hopes, but the Bucks, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, are optimistic that Lillard can return this season.
The Bucks have provided an update on Damian Lillard’s health status: pic.twitter.com/TA3EOB2zr7
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) March 26, 2025
Whether he can rush back or not, this is a tough blow for the Bucks. The regular season is winding down and Milwaukee is locked in a tight battle for seeding in the East. The Bucks are two games behind No. 4 Indiana and a half-game ahead of No. 6 Detroit. There are 11 games left before the playoffs. The Bucks are five games ahead of Atlanta in the No. 7 seed, so Milwaukee won't fall all the way into Play-In range, but home-court advantage and preferable matchups are on the line.
Here's how the Bucks lineup shapes up without Dame for an undetermined period of time.
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Projected Milwaukee Bucks lineup with Damian Lillard out indefinitely due to deep vein thrombosis
Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
PG | Ryan Rollins | Kevin Porter Jr. |
SG | Taurean Prince | AJ Green |
SF | Kyle Kuzma | Gary Trent Jr. |
PF | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Pat Connaughton |
C | Brook Lopez | Pete Nance |
This has been Milwaukee's strategy of late without Lillard. Kevin Porter Jr. is the more productive option, but he's better suited to a bench role, which allows him to hunt his shots and operate as a microwave scorer, rather than a primary setup man.
Ryan Rollins has three straight starts under his belt, a trend that will now continue. He won't play starting minutes every night, but he is going to open games as Milwaukee's lead ball-handler. He's hitting 34.6 percent of his 3s across 46 games this season, averaging 4.9 points and 1.4 assists in 12.9 minutes. Over these last three starts, Rollins has put up 6.0 points and 3.7 assists in 25.3 minutes, shooting 28.6 percent from the field.
It's safe to say the options available to Milwaukee are... less than ideal. Milwaukee gutted its supporting cast and hamstrung financial flexibility in order to build around the Giannis-Lillard duo, which means the Bucks live and die by the success of their stars. With Dame on the pine for the foreseeable future, a lot will fall on Antetokounmpo's plate. Rollins is the de facto point guard, but the real engine behind this Bucks offense — per usual — is Giannis.
The Bucks were already struggling to maintain control of a top-five seed. Detroit is hot on their heels. This is a devastating blow. Even if Dame returns for the playoffs, which is a huge if, the Bucks could be cooked.