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Lillard will undergo surgery Thursday to address the abdominal injury that's plagued him since the start of the season, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. He'll be re-evaluated in 6-to-8 weeks, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Despite a cortisone shot and attempts to rest the injury, Lillard has not been able to shake it, so the decision to opt for surgery doesn't come as a major surprise. The star guard has been hampered since at least the Olympics over the summer, and the abdominal issue clearly impacted his play for the Blazers, as his scoring and efficiency numbers, in particular, have taken a notable dive this season. Through 29 appearances, Lillard is averaging 24.0 points (fewest since 2014-15) and shooting career-worsts from both the field (40.2% FG) and from three (32.4% 3Pt). Encouragingly, Windhorst notes that the surgery is not expected to end Lillard's season, but by the time he's back up to speed, it's very possible that the struggling Trail Blazers could be on the fringes of the postseason race. Fantasy-wise, managers will likely want to stash Lillard in an IR spot, but it remains to be seen how much value he may be able to provide down the stretch.
