All-Star guard Damian Lillard only appeared in 29 games for the Portland Trail Blazers before an abdominal injury derailed his 2021-22 season.
Lillard last played on Dec. 31 and was shortly thereafter shut down. In mid-January, he underwent abdominal surgery and was given an initial recovery timeline of six-to-eight weeks.
Through 29 games, Lillard averaged 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds on .402/.324/.878 shooting splits. As of March 21, the Trail Blazers have a 26-44 record and sit in 12th-place in the Western Conference, 3.5 games back from a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
With Lillard still out and CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, Norman Powell and Larry Nance Jr. no longer on the team, Portland is clearly shifting into a rebuild which likely removes playoff contention from the equation in 2022.
Could it also impact Lillard's recovery and injury timetable? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
What is Damian Lillard's injury?
On Nov. 14, Lillard was officially ruled out for the first time this season in a game against Denver with "lower abdominal tendinopathy." It's an injury he said he "irritated" earlier in the month when the Trail Blazers faced the Cavaliers.
This same injury sidelined Lillard for five games between Nov. 30 and Dec. 8.
How long will Damian Lillard be out?
On Feb. 27, the Blazers announced that Lillard has progressed through the initial phase of his rehab without setback and will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.
Then, on Jan. 13, the Blazers announced that Lillard underwent surgery to repair a core injury causing chronic abdominal pain.
Damian Lillard has undergone abdominal surgery.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 13, 2022
Get well soon, Dame ❤️https://t.co/ucswBFwefO
While there was originally some optimism that Lillard could return at some point this season, that is no longer the case. With the Trail Blazers aiming for lottery positioning, all but eliminated from postseason contention, they have reportedly elected to shut Lillard down for the season, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
"Lillard will miss the remainder of the season following recovery from abdominal surgery in January," Charania wrote.
"Lillard is making tremendous progress and has looked strong in workouts, according to sources, but the team decided it was best for Lillard’s rehab process to sit the remaining 12 games as the Trail Blazers play their group of young players."
Way back in November, Lillard told the media that he's played with the injury "for a few years now" and that he's "kind of immune to playing with it." It was reported that Lillard dealt with the injury during Team USA's gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics.
Damian Lillard on core injury that "tightened up a little bit" in first half of lass to Cavs #RipCity
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) November 4, 2021
"I've played with it for a few years now, so I'm kinda immune to playin' with it. I've played well, done a lot of things with it being irritated." pic.twitter.com/GT3wshQTnb
Damian Lillard contract
Lillard signed a four-year, $176 million dollar max deal with Portland this past offseason and is on the hook for $39.3 million this season. His current contract runs through the 2024-25 season when he's scheduled to make $48.8 million.
Lillard does have a player option for that final season, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
