March 26 (UPI) -- Milwaukee Bucks All-Star guard Damian Lillard sustained a blood clot inside his right calf and is out indefinitely, the team announced.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst said Lillard, who is on blood thinning medication, will be evaluated on a weekly basis to "ensure that it is safe for him to return to play."
"Damian's health is our No. 1 priority," Horst said. "We will support him as he moves through this weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play.
"Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery."
Lillard, 34, was out for the last three games with what the Bucks said was a calf strain. He also sat out for more than a week in December because of an issue with the same calf.
The nine-time All-Star averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game over 58 starts this season, his second with the Bucks since a 2023 trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
The announcement of his blood clot came about a month after the San Antonio Spurs announced that star center Victor Wembanyama also was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder. Wembanyama was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Spurs (31-40) are out of playoff contention, while the Bucks (40-31) sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They will take on the Denver Nuggets (45-28) -- the third-place team in the Western Conference -- at 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Denver.