Nobody saw this coming—Victor Wembanyama is out for the season with deep vein thrombosis, a serious blood clot condition that needs medical treatment. Before fans could even wrap their heads around that news, the Bucks hit them with another shocker: Damian Lillard has it too. If you’re wondering when they’ll be back, well, that’s the million-dollar question. There’s no exact timeline for recovery because it all depends on how fast the clot dissolves.

Dr. Cheng-Han Chen told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, “The recovery is unpredictable, and it’s all based on how long it takes for the blood clot to dissolve.” In other words, it’s a waiting game. But there is some good news. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Lillard is making solid progress, and there’s real optimism that he could return in time for the playoffs.

“There is a chance. There’s optimism,” Charania said on The Pat McAfee Show, hinting that the Bucks aren’t ruling out a postseason comeback for their star guard. Head coach Doc Rivers echoed that optimism, sharing that Lillard recently received a positive medical update. “”He had a great report the other day. I think we even released that; I don’t know if we did or not, but the numbers are phenomenal. And why mess with it?” Rivers said. He emphasized that the team is being extra cautious, especially with factors like air travel that could impact Lillard’s condition.

“Our thing is flying, or anything could affect that. And so, our thing was let’s we, we have much more hope today than we did three days ago. I can tell you that, and so we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there’s a way we can get him back,” Rivers added, making it clear that while there’s still uncertainty, the door for Lillard’s return remains open. With the playoffs approaching, Milwaukee will take every precaution to give him the best shot at making it back.

But while the Bucks are managing Lillard’s recovery, they also had to deal with a scare on the sidelines. They had to adjust on the fly when Doc Rivers left the game early. During the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers, the head coach suddenly exited and headed to the locker room due to an illness, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm reported.

With Rivers out, assistant coach Darvin Ham stepped in to run the team. He didn’t reveal much about the situation post-game, but ESPN’s Tim Bontemps confirmed that Rivers ended up watching the rest of the game from the locker room.

Even without their head coach on the sidelines, the Bucks stayed locked in. They went into halftime with a narrow 61-59 lead before breaking away for a convincing 126-113 win.

This is Rivers’ first full season leading Milwaukee after stepping in mid-season last year following Adrian Griffin’s firing. His first playoff run with the team ended earlier than expected, with a disappointing first-round exit to Indiana.

Fortunately, the Bucks had a solid safety net in Ham. The former Lakers head coach spent two seasons in Los Angeles, guiding them to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. His tenure ended with a first-round exit and a pink slip, but his experience under pressure made him a steady hand in Rivers’ absence.

While the Bucks have handled adversity on the sidelines, the real challenge lies in understanding the severity of Lillard’s condition.

Doctors weigh in on Damian Lillard’s injury

Damian Lillard hasn’t set foot on the court since March 18, when the Bucks took a 104-93 loss to the Warriors. But this isn’t just a routine injury—it’s much more serious. The nine-time All-Star is dealing with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right calf, a condition that could derail Milwaukee’s playoff dreams if it doesn’t clear up in time.

Lillard is currently on blood thinners, which prevents the clot from worsening but also makes physical contact dangerous. That’s why he’s out indefinitely. As reported by The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, after talking to various doctors across California, recovery timelines vary wildly—it could be three months, or it could stretch out for a year. There’s no way to predict it.

Dr. Christopher Yi, a vascular surgeon, explained to Weiss that DVT isn’t genetic but often affects athletes with repetitive arm movements, like golfers and shooters. The Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama earlier this season for the same issue. Lillard fits the profile.

The bigger concern? If the clot moves, it could become a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is far more dangerous. That’s what ended Chris Bosh’s career. Dr. Vinay Badhwar told Weiss that lower-body clots are especially risky since they can travel to the heart.

Right now, Milwaukee is investigating the cause, but time is running out. Lillard, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds this season, doesn’t have many title chances left. At the end of the day, though, health and family matter. Hopefully, things work in favor of Dame and the Bucks.