Luka Doncic (hamstring) is expected to miss the first two games vs. OKC, per @SIChrisMannix
“He will reportedly miss the first two games against the Thunder and is still considered week-to-week.”
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HOUSTON, 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.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still awaiting a new Luka Doncic injury update and official return timeline heading into their second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Lakers did beat the Houston Rockets in six games in big part due to LeBron James‘ heroics and seeing the return of Austin Reaves from injury, the Thunder are another beast, and getting Doncic back for the second round would be a big help for a Los Angeles squad that is 0-4 against Oklahoma City this season.
Doncic remains out indefinitely for the Lakers, with no official return timeline. However, based on recent updates, it doesn’t look as though the star is expected back anytime soon, as he continues to work back from the grade 2 hamstring injury he suffered over a month ago.
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates in front of Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Heading into the Lakers vs Thunder conference semifinals playoff series, a few insiders have given their thoughts about Doncic’s injury and eventual return.
Most recently, it was insider Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated commenting on the Slovenian star’s status heading into the Lakers’ second-round series.
Luka Doncic (hamstring) is expected to miss the first two games vs. OKC, per @SIChrisMannix
“He will reportedly miss the first two games against the Thunder and is still considered week-to-week.”
“Officially, there is no update on Dončić. He will reportedly miss the first two games against the Thunder and is still considered week-to-week,” he wrote. “The Lakers, understandably, will take a cautious approach with Dončić. The hamstring has been a nagging concern for most of the second half of the season.”
His comments come after Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Doncic is expected to miss at least the start of the Lakers vs Thunder series. While the star is getting back to on-court work, Los Angeles has yet to give an official update or return timeline for him to get back on the court.
However, speaking recently on ESPN’s Get Up show, Brian Windhorst gave an even more bleak outlook on Doncic’s injury recovery.
“He is not close. There is a whole ramp-up that’s required when you are coming back from a hamstring. He has not started that contact ramp-up yet,” Windhorst said. “Do not expect to see Luka in the first few games of this series.”
Brian Windhorst on Luka injury update:
“He is not close. There is a whole ramp up that’s required from a hamstring and he has not started that contact ramp up yet…. Do not expect I see Luka the first few games of this series”
Despite that, based on what those insiders, as well as a few others, have said, even though the Lakers haven’t offered an update on Doncic, there is some hope that he could return in the middle of the series. Still, at this point, it doesn’t look like that will come in the first two games the Lakers will play against the Thunder.
The Lakers did get a bit of help thanks to R.J. Barrett by extending the Cavaliers–Raptors series to have their second-round matchup against the Thunder start a few days later. Still, with Game 1 tipping off on Tuesday night, Los Angeles is about to start the biggest test of their 2025-26 campaign so far against Oklahoma City, a series that will begin without Doncic healthy.
Here’s the Lakers vs Thunder series schedule:
With that schedule, the thought of Doncic coming back becomes a bit clearer. Based on his original four-to-six-week return timeline, Game 1 would come at roughly the four-week mark, while a potential Game 7 would come about six weeks after he suffered the injury.
Based on head coach JJ Redick recently saying that there is ‘no update’ on Doncic’s status, it is fair to say that he won’t be coming back early in the first-reported return timeline.
Luka Doncic, getting up shots Monday. When asked about his availability for Game 1, JJ Redick said, “no update.”
However, like what Mannix, Charania, Windhorst, as well as insiders Brett Siegel and Jovan Buha have reported, sometime in the middle of the series, likely when it heads back to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, could be a potential return date.
Still, with Doncic not yet progressing to full scrimmages, the idea of him coming back in the next few days feels like one that can be ruled out. Hamstring issues have a high chance of re-injury, so if the Lakers think they have a chance to beat the Thunder and make an even deeper playoff run, they might want to be even more careful with a Doncic return than they already have been.
For now, Doncic is still out indefinitely. Each win the Lakers can get against the defending champions will help a potential injury comeback, but based on the two teams’ recent history, that might be a tough task. The Thunder are heavy favorites to win the series, but if Jalen Williams remains out with his injury and Doncic can return at some point, that could shift the tide of this second-round series.
“Still, with Oklahoma City’s All-NBA guard Jalen Williams battling a hamstring injury of his own, there may be an opening for Los Angeles to steal one of these first two games—giving Dončić more of a runway to come back,” Mannix added, one of many who have predicted Williams’ injury to play a big part in the series.
Lakers vs Thunder Game 1 tips off at 5:30 pm PST on Tuesday, May 5, and will be live on NBC and Peacock.
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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