The Los Angeles Lakers received a boost with the return of Austin Reaves, but the team is still waiting for Luka Doncic to recover from a hamstring injury. Doncic is not playing in Game 6 against the Houston Rockets, and all signs point to the star missing a Game 7 if the series is extended.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Doncic is also expected to miss the next round of the NBA playoffs, if the Lakers are able to advance. It appears as though the Lakers would be attempting to pull off an upset against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Doncic.
“My understanding is it is a slow path on the recovery front for Luka,” Charania noted during an April 28, 2026, edition of “SportsCenter.” “The expectation is if the Lakers are able to beat Houston and advance, Luka Doncic will be out for the next series.
“There’s still no timetable for him as of right now. He’s starting to do more court movement as JJ Redick said the other day, but he is not at the point where he’s progressing in his on-court workouts as far as one-on-ones and truly pushing it on a movement front.”
Here’s the latest news and updates on Doncic’s injury.
Luka Doncic’s Injury: The Lakers Star Is Not Expected to Play Against Thunder
All indications are that Doncic still has a long path ahead before he is able to play again. Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that Doncic’s work in practice is far from full speed.
“Yeah, he just continues to kind of do some stuff on the court, was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been standstill,” Redick told reporters on April 26. “So he’s progressing, but no update on on any timeline or anything like that.”
Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Were Both Recovering From Injuries to Start the NBA Playoffs
Reaves has a unique perspective on Doncic’s return timeline given the two stars were both recovering from injuries to start the NBA playoffs. The star discussed what the two Lakers veterans observed on the sideline.
“It’s been a lot of fun, just seeing the determination, the togetherness, and just the joy of them playing basketball together (and) competing every single possession,” Reaves said, per NBA.com.
“It’s been a lot of fun. Me and Luka talk about it every time we’re watching — just how hard we’re playing, the attention to detail and the togetherness.”
Luka Doncic May Need the Lakers to Make Western Conference Finals to Play Again This Season
Doncic has not been officially ruled out for the next round (if the Lakers advance), but the early signs point to the star’s availability likely being in the Western Conference Finals. This would be a tall task as the Lakers would be heavy underdogs against the Thunder if the team advances.
This also assumes that Los Angeles is able to close out the series against Houston, which is no guarantee heading into Game 6. The one thing that appears clear is that Doncic will need a lengthy Lakers playoff run in order to return to the court this season.
Luka Doncic’s Injury Timeline Revealed: When Will Lakers Star Return to Play?