Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will undergo surgery for an abdominal injury on Thursday.
He will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.
Lillard saw two specialists this week, one in St. Louis and the other in Philadelphia, and both agreed surgery was the best course of action, sources said.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will undergo surgery on Thursday for his abdominal injury and will be sidelined indefinitely, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 12, 2022
His return to the court this season will depend on his recovery status and the Blazers’ position in the standings, considering their disappointing start.
The six-timeAll-Star has been publicly dealing with the injury since the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
In early December, an MRI confirmed the lower abdominal tendinopathy, and Lillard later received a cortisone injection to mitigate the pain he has dealt with in the past few years.
He did return to action after the shot and played nine games in December, with his last game on December 31.
The nine-year veteran has missed 11 total games this season, and with his current recovery timeline, is expected to miss the most time of his entire career.
Lillard is averaging 24 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game this season for the Trail Blazers.
Portland (16-24) currently sits in 10th place and in the final play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.
The team is about to embark on a six-game road trip, starting Thursday in Denver.
The Trail Blazers then take a swing through the Eastern Conference with games at Washington (Saturday), Orlando (Monday), Miami (Jan. 19), Boston (Jan. 21), and Toronto (Jan. 23).
The Trail Blazers also are without CJ McCollum, who suffered a pneumothorax of his right lung on December 4.
He has since recovered from that injury and is expected to return to action after the birth of his first child.
Damian Lillard is in the midst of a very rocky season as speculation has circled all year of his impending departure from the Pacific Northwest.