Blazers star Damian Lillard out for abdominal surgery

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - A season of bad news just keeps getting worse for the Trail Blazers as Damian Lillard will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Lillard’s friend, Chris Haynes with Yahoo Sports, reports that the Blazers ironman will undergo surgery on his abdomen Thursday and will be re-evaluated in six-eight weeks. Already low on fuel for hopes in 2022, the Blazers’ worst fears have come to reality: Dame’s abs have not healed, and now it’s time to take that next step in a return to health.

The 31-year-old has played with the abdominal annoyance for a couple of years now and when it was worth fighting for his squad, he played through it, but nearly halfway into the season, the Blazers are holding down the final play-in spot at 10th but also just five games from Houston with the worst record in the conference.

Dame’s 24 points per game is his lowest average in six years; he’s already missed 11 games this season. CJ McCollum remains on the shelf after coming back from a collapsed lung, andCOVID issues continue to pop up on the roster.

With a 2-13 record on the road, the Blazers embark on a six-game trip beginning in Denver Thursday, the day Dame is set to go under the knife. If all goes well, Lillard could potentially return sometime in March, that is if they are still in contention in the final month of the season.

How much does this fast-track how interim GM Joe Cronin may see this roster at next month’s trade deadline? The clock is ticking toward Feb. 10.

The Trail Blazers are 3-2 in the new year without Dame or CJ. It’s the Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little show for the foreseeable future.