Trail Blazers rule out Damian Lillard for the remainder of season

The Portland Trail Blazers announced Monday that star point guard Damian Lillard is making progress in his recovery from an abdominal injury, but they have decided to keep the six-time All-Star out for the remainder of the season.

Lillard, 31, hasn't played for Portland since a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on New Year's Eve. The decision to shut him down isn't surprising with only 12 games left on the schedule for the Trail Blazers and a trip to the playoffs unlikely. Portland is 3.5 games behind the Lakers for tenth place in the Western Conference and a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Prior to his injury, Lillard averaged 24.0 points with 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 29 games.

The Trail Blazers made several changes during his absence, including CJ McCollum getting traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February. Lillard's future in Portland has long been a subject of discussion and will likely continue to be as the team works to rebuild with young players and draft picks in lieu of veterans.

Lillard was the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and has been part of eight trips to the postseason during his time with the Trail Blazers, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2019.