Damian Lillard 'Most Likely' Done for Season with Abdominal Injury, Blazers GM Says

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is still rehabbing from abdominal surgery, but now it looks like he will do so in preparation for next season.

Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin told Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin that it's "most likely" that Lillard doesn't play again this season. Cronin noted that despite the fact that Lillard's rehab is going well, it wouldn't make sense for him to return at this time.

Lillard hasn't played since he was shut down at the end of December. He underwent successful surgery last month and was expected to be reevaluated in six weeks.

Lillard had been averaging 24.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 29 games. But his shooting numbers were way down, as he was connecting on 40.2 percent of his field goals and 32.4 percent of his three-pointers, both career-worst numbers for the six-time All-Star.

The Blazers snapped a six-game losing streak on Wednesday with a surprising win over the Los Angeles Lakers to improve to 22-34. Portland was very short-handed after retooling its roster ahead of the trade deadline.

Lillard's longtime running mate, CJ McCollum, was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans for a package that included swingman Josh Hart and draft picks. Portland also traded wing players Robert Covington and Norman Powell to the Los Angeles Clippers. These were moves that clearly indicated that the Blazers are looking ahead to next season.

In Lillard's absence, Anfernee Simons has emerged as Portland's top option on offense. The third-year shooting guard had 29 points against the Lakers, with 25 coming in the second half. He has averaged 22.6 points per game since the start of January.

The Blazers will return to action when they host the New York Knicks on Saturday.