When is Luka Doncic returning? Playoff injury update for Lakers star

Yahoo Sports2h ago29 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Luka Doncic will not return for the start of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is on a week-to-week evaluation as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Key points

Luka Doncic is not returning for the Western Conference semifinals.
He is recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
The Lakers are evaluating his condition weekly.
Doncic has been sidelined for a month.
The Lakers are facing the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Luka DoncicLos Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder

When is Luka Doncic returning? Playoff injury update for Lakers star

Luka Doncic is still building towards a return, but it won't come in time for the start of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Doncic for the start of their second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on "Inside the NBA."

Charania reports the Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis, and he is currently on a "slow path" in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined for the past month.

"He's doing more and more on the court," Charania reported. "But right now, still not full-fledged running or full-contact workouts."

Luka Dončić carried a heavy workload throughout the season, often playing through physical challenges as the wear of the schedule accumulated.

Now sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, these images reflect moments when the strain of the year was visible as Dončić worked through injuries while leading his team.

Above, Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench at the end of the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida.