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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against the Chicago Bulls.

Another day, more Luka Doncic speculation. When is the Los Angeles Lakers star going to return to the court?

Doncic, 27, is dealing with one of the most annoying injuries possible. A hamstring strain is agitating not only because it causes pain, but because the darn thing can easily be reaggravated as soon as intense physical activity is resumed.

That’s perhaps what is preventing Doncic from making more progress. It has been 27 days since he went down with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, an injury that typically necessitates a monthlong recovery process. The fact that Doncic is reportedly not close to return is alarming.

Doncic wasn’t initially projected to play in the first round in the Lakers series against the Houston Rockets, but there was at least some optimism he would be ready to go as soon as Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. 

Even that may be entirely ruled out of play now.

At least the Lakers are on the verge of welcoming back Austin Reaves, who, too, has been out since April 2 with a Grade 2 oblique strain. The 27-year-old Los Angeles Star could suit up in tonight’s Game 5.

Even if Reaves is back in the fold, LeBron James still has the burden of absorbing the lion share of the load. He is the healthiest, most dependable star the Lakers have right now. Tonight, he’ll need to have a performance similar to what he had in Game 2, where he posted 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

The Defending Champs Are Up Next … What about Luka Doncic?

The Lakers getting Doncic back will greatly impact the playoffs, but whether it’ll be enough to put up a fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder remains to be seen, if he at all returns.

GettyLuka Doncic has been sidelined since early April with a hamstring injury.

There has been intense speculation around Doncic’s availability in recent weeks. Fans anticipated a miraculously fast return after it was announced Doncic was headed to Spain to seek specialized treatment. 

Recent videos on the internet have surfaced showing Doncic shooting around and partaking in light drills, but there remains no evidence the Lakers star is close to returning. 

ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported Tuesday that “Luka Doncic will be out for the next series” and that there is “still no time table for him as of right now.”

Insider Details Star’s Path to Returning for Potential Thunder Series

L.A. still has some major work to do before it can begin thinking about the Thunder, but what’s also true is if the Lakers hope to pull off a major upset against the defending champs, they need Doncic back in uniform. 

Jovan Buha, a prominent Lakers insider, broke down the hurdles Doncic would need to clear to return at some point in the second round against the Thunder.

“It doesn’t seem like he’s going to be available to at least start the series,” Buha began, “but could he potentially be back for it at some point mid-to-late series? I think that seems to be optimistic right now, but we’ll see. … It does feel like it’s a little surprising if he does end up missing the entirety of the OKC series. 

Added Buha: “I think the key thing to track here is going to be probably early next week, where’s he at in terms of has he started the 1-on-1s, has he started the group workouts — if he’s there, then it feels like he can maybe return [during the] middle of the series at the earliest. If he’s not … then I think that tells us where Luka’s at.”

L.A.’s season is quite literally tethered to Doncic’s hamstring. What he brings as a scorer and as a total offensive engine is sometimes enough to single-handedly deliver a playoff win. 

The Lakers will need to steal a game (or two, or three, or four) to beat the Thunder. But right now, things aren’t looking promising for L.A. on the Doncic front.