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Los Angeles, CA - March 27: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77, reacts to a referee's call in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Friday, March 27, 2026. For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation. Doncic finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers had a disappointing end to what was one of the best seasons of his career, as a grade two hamstring injury kept him out for the team’s final stretch of the regular season and their two playoff series.
The injury had a big impact on him and the Lakers, and after Los Angeles’ season ended in a sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic announced that he made the difficult decision not to play for his home country of Slovenia over the summer in World Cup qualifying games, choosing instead to spend time with his family amid his custody battle for his two daughters.
However, according to a recent report from Doncic’s father, the idea of him playing for Slovenia this summer can’t be ruled out, going against what the star himself said after the Lakers’ season ended.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with is father Sasa after a 124-103 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Speaking to Slovenian media, Sasa Doncic, father of the Lakers’ franchise star, said that the 27-year-old can’t be ruled out from playing for his home country this summer.
“He will not be there in July, but August is still a long way off and there is certainly a possibility that he will join Aleksandar Sekulić’s squad,” Sasa Doncic said.
Additionally, Doncic’s father reported that the Lakers have not given any offseason restrictions on their star, making the idea of him playing for Slovenia all the more likely.
“He will make the decision himself, the club supports him and does not set any restrictions or conditions for him,” he added.
Doncic wants to play basketball whenever he can. That was clear when he spoke to the media amid his injury and the Lakers’ playoff run.
“I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is. All I wanna do is play basketball, especially this time (of year),” the star said. “Seeing what my team is doing, I’m very proud of them. It’s been very tough just to sit and watch them play.”
Doncic had previously announced he had no plans of playing for Slovenia this summer.
“As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer. Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months,” he said in a statement after the Lakers’ season ended. “I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer. But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority.”
GettyMIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 19: Jaxson Hayes #11 reacts after Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers draws a foul against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida.
In what was one of the more surprising storylines of the Lakers’ 2025-26 campaign, backup center Jaxson Hayes obtained a Slovenian passport to play with Doncic on the national team going forward.
“We got my Slovenian passport,” Hayes told the media. “It really came through. Luka’s been calling me ‘my Slovenian brother.’ He says it all the time.”
Since then, the idea of Doncic and Hayes playing together was all but out the window after the star’s announcement, and according to the father, the Lakers’ center might not be with the team until their best player comes back.
Jaxson Hayes officially getting a Slovenian passport is actually a pretty wild Luka storyline.
Hayes said this process started because Slovenia brought the idea to him:
“We have the same agent, and my parents and his parents are kinda all working on it right now.”
He also said
“Hayes is a young player, he will be able to play for Slovenia for at least five more years, so we don’t want to include him in the national team too quickly,” he added. “I think Luka needs to introduce him to the team, so he will come when Luka is ready.”
Hayes is the exact type of player that Doncic thrives playing with, and while there were hopes the two would be on the court together this summer for Slovenia, that might not be the case.
Still, Doncic playing for his national team can’t be ruled out after his father’s comments. Though the Lakers’ star wants to be playing, it remains to be seen if he’ll actually suit up amid his custody battle.
“If the situation were normal, there would be no question of playing for the national team,” Doncic’s father added.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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