The Trail Blazers said Lillard "has made progress in the re-athleticization phase of his rehabilitation protocol" and "has met several key performance milestones to date and will continue the final phase of rehabilitation over the coming weeks."
The 31-year-old All Star point guard has averaged 24 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in 29 appearances for Portland this season.
This is the lowest total of games Lillard has ever played in an NBA season as well as his lowest scoring average in seven years.
Lillard was originally slated to return in March, but interim Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said last month he likely won't return until next season.
He will be missed by his team, currently 12th place in the Western Conference and virtually eliminated from the play-off race with a record of 26 wins for 44 losses.
The Oregon franchise has reached the playoffs in each of the past eight NBA seasons with starting Lillard, even making the 2019 Western Conference Finals before losing to Golden State.
© 2022 AFP