Bucks star guard Damian Lillard is feared to have suffered an left Achilles tear, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.

Lillard’s injury occurred during Game 4 of his team’s first-round series on Sunday night. He went down on the non-contact play after tapping an offensive rebound from the top of the key to a teammate. He needed to be helped off the floor and couldn’t put weight on his left leg.

It’s a heartbreaking development for the Bucks and the nine-time All-Star. Lillard, 34, returned to action in Game 2 of the series after recovering from a blood clot in his right calf, which sidelined him for more than a month. He was cleared of deep vein thrombosis, which required blood thinning medication, 10 days ago.

Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .448/.376/.921 shooting in 36.1 minutes per contest during the regular season. He would have been a strong candidate to make an All-NBA team for the eighth time, but did not qualify due to the 65-game rule — he appeared in 58 games this season.

Lillard struggled with his shooting in Games 2 and 3, making just 24 percent of his attempts while averaging 10.5 points in 34.5 minutes.

If Lillard has indeed suffered a tear, it would likely jeopardize his 2025/26 season and put the Bucks in a difficult financial bind. He’s due to make an estimated $54,126,380 next season and holds an option projected at $58,456,490 for the 2026/27 season.

In the short run, the Bucks will have to rely heavily on Kevin Porter Jr. to run the Bucks’ offense for the remainder of the series.