The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and they could very well be without both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the entire series, and potentially the rest of their season.
Reaves’ injury return timeline for his oblique strain has always been straightforward: four to six weeks. However, as for Doncic, he’s consistently been listed out ‘indefinitely’, and there hasn’t been any reporting on an exact return date or timeline for him to get back for the Lakers.
History suggests Doncic could miss at least 40 days, with a high chance of re-injury, but according to one insider, the star player and MVP candidate could return for the Lakers sooner than anyone initially expected.
Lakers Get New Luka Doncic Return Timeline
GettyHOUSTON, 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.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, speaking on the Run It Back show, there is a chance Doncic could play for Los Angeles in their series against the Rockets and return before Reaves.
“(Doncic) has the shorter projected timetable, so yes, and he obviously went to Spain to get some treatment,” Buha said. “They’re hoping that could shave off a few days, or even up to a week. So between the two, yes, Luka is expected back first.”
According to The Athletic, previous hamstring injuries, like the one Doncic suffered in early April, have historically seen players miss at least 40 days, with a high chance of re-injury. With that timeline, Doncic wouldn’t come back for the Lakers’ first-round series.
There has been no reported return timeline or injury update on Doncic, but according to Buha, with Reaves’ more direct timeline compared to the uncertain one for the Slovenian star, it leaves the door open for him to come back sooner.
“He obviously went to Spain to get treatment. They’re hoping that could shave off a few days, or even up to a week… Austin, it was 4-6 weeks.”
@GeorgesNiang | @MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons“I think that it’s close between the two, in terms of who would return first, but we did not get an official Luka timetable, so that remains up in the air,” he added. “With Austin, it was four to six weeks…Terrible timing.”
While Buha believes Doncic could be the one to return for the Lakers first, another NBA insider had the exact opposite prediction.
Uncertain Luka Doncic Return Timeline Leads To Opposing Lakers Narrative
GettyLuka Dončić sits on the bench alongside teammates as the Los Angeles Lakers deal with injuries to key players ahead of the playoffs.
Speaking on the Ryen Russillo Show, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated also recently commented about who he thinks the Lakers could get back first, as it relates to Doncic and Reaves.
When asked about his thoughts, Mannix said he thinks Reaves could be the one to make his return earlier, as Doncic’s uncertain timeline hints at even the team not knowing when or if he’ll get back healthy while the Lakers are still in the playoffs.
“I think, if you asked the Lakers, they’d say they’re a little more optimistic about Reaves coming back in the series than Luka,” he said. “The risk of re-injury for the hamstring strain, and the significance of it, if you do re-injure it, is something that is a very top concern for the Lakers.”
The uncertainty around Doncic’s timeline and his additional treatment in Spain puts a cloud over any expected return for him, and how that relates to Reaves coming back. But as Mannix said, the idea of either returning for the Lakers comes with a lot of questions and risk.
“I think there’s some, I don’t even want to call it optimism, I don’t think it’s optimism, but if you’re wondering which guy could come back a little bit earlier than expected, probably you’d have to point the finger at Austin Reaves. But even then, you’re probably talking in the second half of a series…(But) How much do you want to risk in a situation like this?”
According to head coach JJ Redick, both Doncic and Reaves won’t be re-evaluated until next week, after the Lakers vs Rockets series begins. He announced that the two are ‘out indefinitely’, so for now, any updates on potential returns for either remain speculation.
The Lakers vs Rockets playoff series begins on Saturday, April 18, and if it goes deep, Game 6 would be on May 1 and Game 7 on May 3, and likely by then, it will be known if either Doncic or Reaves is coming back, if they haven’t already.
Lakers Get Surprising New Luka Doncic Injury Return Timeline For Playoffs