FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:
Luka Doncic is progressing in his recovery from a hamstring strain and could potentially return for the Los Angeles Lakers within 10-14 days, possibly around May 6-10.
Luka Doncic is steadily working his way toward a return for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
According to head coach JJ Redick, Doncic resumed on-court movement on Sunday as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
“Most of his stuff [before] had been standstill,” Redick said ahead of Game 4. “He’s progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”
Sports doctor Jesse Morse noted that comments like Redick’s typically suggest a return could be around 10-14 days away (that puts the timeline at May 6-10).
Luka has been sidelined since April 2, the same date as teammate Austin Reaves. During his recovery, the Slovenian star traveled to Europe to undergo specialized medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Lakers insider Jovan Buha previously suggested that Doncic could return in Game 1 or Game 2 of the second round, depending on how his hamstring responds and how the series against the Houston Rockets unfolds.
The Lakers currently lead the first-round series 3-1, with Game 5 set for April 29 in Los Angeles.
If they close out the series, they are very likely to face the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the second round.
They’re the highest scoring duo in the NBA no matter what 2 players on any team you put together by a significant margin. Guess we can put the “trade Reaves for pennies on the dollar” theories to rest, for a little while anyway lol.
One could argue we’re looking at the present and future of the Lakers right now: Luka, Austin, Rui, DeAndre and Jake LaRavia all play together extremely well. Jake has a ways to go to match LeBron’s sizable impact, but we can address that when LeBron eventually retires (I’m not thinking that’s this summer, btw, and I don’t think he’ll ever suit up for another team ever again).