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WASHINGTON, 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.
NBA superstar Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers has been out for over a month with a grade 2 hamstring strain, and based on the latest injury updates about a potential return in their second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, things do not look good.
Doncic spoke to the media publicly for the first time since suffering the injury, providing new updates about his recovery and a return timeline. While the Lakers’ star said he had returned to on-court work, he is still far from playing in a game.
Additionally, based on the latest update from Dave McMenamin of ESPN, despite Doncic’s new comments, the star is not expected back in the Lakers’ series against the Thunder.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on prior to a game against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Speaking on SportsCenter, McMenamin referenced questions he asked Doncic on Wednesday to provide a bleak outlook on the star getting back on the court at some point in the conference semifinals for the Lakers.
Doncic himself told the media that his hamstring injury was supposed to keep him out for eight weeks, and based on that timeline, a potential return wouldn’t come unless Los Angeles makes the finals, nearly shutting the door completely on a comeback in their current series against Oklahoma City, as McMenamin said.
“When you talk about eight weeks, that would suggest he’s nowhere close to a return,” the Lakers reporter said. “He didn’t flat out say that he wouldn’t return in this series, but his body language and answers let all of us in the room with him yesterday to believe that were not going to see Luka Doncic in this series against the Thunder.”
Q: Do you have any intention to play when the series shifts to LA? A: “I’m just doing everything I can … Every day I’m doing things I’m supposed to do. … The doctor said eight weeks at the beginning of the first MRI. So I’m just going day by day and I feel better every day”
McMenamin added that the good news is that Doncic as returned to running work on the court, but the fact that he hasn’t done any contact work yet could signal that the star is far away from coming back for the Lakers.
Doncic has been out for almost five weeks with his hamstring strain, and based on McMenamin’s reporting and what the star himself said, a return in their series against the Thunder looks highly unlikely.
GettyLuka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
Doncic spoke to a group of reporters on Wednesday for the first time since he went down with the injury on April 2, giving key updates on his health and recovery, but still not offering an official return timeline.
As McMenamin mentioned, perhaps what was most notable about his press availability was Doncic saying that instead of the four-to-six week return timeline that was initially reported, he was supposed to be out for a minimum of eight weeks.
“The day I did the MRI on the hamstring, the doctor told me eight weeks [recovery] at the beginning,” Doncic said. “I’m doing everything I can in the process, and I think we’re on a good way. But at the beginning, he told me eight weeks.”
Additionally, Doncic added that this injury has been different than others in his career. He has dealt a slew of injuries throughout his eight seasons in the NBA, including other hamstring issues, but he said this one has come with a longer recovery than he first thought.
“I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is. All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time. It’s the best time to play basketball,” Doncic added. “It’s very frustrating seeing what my team is doing. I’m very proud of them. It’s been very tough to just to sit and watch them play.”
For now, the star remains out with the hamstring injury and still lacks an official return timeline for the Lakers. If they can somehow advance past the Thunder, chances of him coming back could grow, but heading into Game 2 of the series, it doesn’t look like he’ll be on the court for them in the conference semifinals.
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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