The Los Angeles Lakers announced Luka Doncic would miss the rest of the regular season with a left hamstring strain, and based on the latest injury update, the MVP candidate and franchise centerpiece could be sidelined for a long time.
Shortly after Doncic’s injury was announced, the Lakers also revealed that Austin Reaves would miss the rest of the regular season as well. However, in the official Reaves injury update, it was reported that he would be out four to six weeks, unlike Doncic, who does not have a return timeline or projected amount of time he will be out.
While team insider Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that a grade two hamstring strain, like the one Doncic suffered, typically sees athletes sit out for a month, based on previous NBA players suffering the same injury, the star could be out for even longer than that.
Luka Doncic Injury Update And Projected Lakers Return Timeline
GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts from the floor after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As McMenamin first reported, a monthlong recovery is typical for Doncic’s hamstring injury, but as the Lakers did not announce an official return timeline, it remains uncertain how long he will be sidelined.
However, as Law Murray and Lindsey Wisniewski reported for The Athletic, based on the amount of time it took Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets, as well as Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, to return from similar injuries, Doncic could be facing an even longer recovery timeline than originally expected.
“The recovery timeline for a Grade 2 hamstring strain, also known as a partial tear, is rarely clear-cut. In fact, recent NBA history offers more reason for Dončić and the Lakers to be discouraged instead of optimistic,” they wrote. “Around the league, comparable injuries have followed a pattern: initial absences in the three- to six-week range, followed by a heightened risk of reinjury.”
It took Watson 46 days to recover from his hamstring injury, but he reaggravated the issue shortly after coming back and is now officially week-to-week. Similar case with Gordon, as he missed 44 days before re-injuring himself to miss another 42 days.
As for Williams, he missed 23 days but suffered the same injury just two days after returning, resulting in the 24-year-old missing another 40 days with the hamstring strain.
Those are just the notable players who have suffered the same injury as Doncic this season. It is clear that a month could be considered a loose return timeline, but the risk of re-injury is high, especially for a player like Doncic who carries a heavy workload for the Lakers.
The 2026 NBA playoffs start on April 18, and as Doncic suffered a hamstring injury on April 2, any chance of him returning before the playoffs should be ruled out. He is officially ruled out for an indefinite period of time.
Luka Doncic MVP-Level Season For The Lakers
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
In 64 games this season, Doncic is averaging 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.7 steals on 47.7/36.8/77.9 shooting splits.
He had a historic month of March that saw him become one of just a few players in NBA history to score 600 points in that span, while he helped lead the Lakers to a 15-2 record in the month and quickly rose up the Western Conference standings.
He solidified himself as an MVP candidate, and while he still is behind in the odds, and likely won’t be in contention for the award anymore, it’s arguably been his most successful NBA season, at least statistically speaking.
He could very well miss out on end-of-season awards, including the MVP and All-NBA honors, but according to his representation, he plans to appeal for an extraordinary circumstances grievance after missing two games in December for the birth of his child.
“This season, Luka Dončić has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly contested MVP races in memory,” Bill Duffy of WME Basketball wrote in a statement.
“To ensure that Luka’s incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honored and he can be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an ‘Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge’ to the 65-game rule.”
Insiders believe the NBA will grant Doncic the challenge, and he will qualify for end-of-season awards.
Regardless, the Lakers are now without Doncic and Reaves, for, based on injury updates and projections, at least the next month.
The responsibility of leading the team now falls on LeBron James, the oldest player in the league, who had previously taken a backseat to the two younger stars as the Lakers look forward to the playoffs.
“Our mission, it hasn’t changed,” head coach JJ Redick previously said. “The rest of these guys and my staff, we’re going after the 3-seed and we’re going to try to win a playoff series. And we’ll see what happens with Luka.”
Based on the lastest Doncic injury update, he should not be expected to return anytime soon for the Lakers.
Los Angeles is 50-27 and have five games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
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