Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers remains out indefinitely with a grade 2 hamstring injury he suffered in early April, and is not expected to play in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
While previous Doncic injury updates and return timelines signaled he could have returned against the Rockets, or even early in the second round if the Lakers can advance, the latest news points to the star being further back in his recovery process than originally thought.
After a few recent concerning reports on Doncic’s injury return, the Lakers got more bad news on getting their franchise star back on the court on time.
The Latest Luka Doncic Injury Return News
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 31: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Any hope of a Doncic return for the Lakers in their series against the Rockets can be put to bed, as according to multiple reports from NBA insider Shams Charania, Los Angeles does not expect to see him come back in the first round.
Additionally, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, while head coach JJ Redick said Doncic is progressing to more on-court work, ‘it certainly doesn’t sound like he is close’ to making a return.
“Redick said Sunday that there is no update from the team on Doncic’s return timeline, which is currently unknown,” he wrote. “But based on the incremental progress Redick shared Sunday — that Doncic ‘was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, most of the stuff [before] had been standstill’ — it certainly doesn’t sound like he is close.”
That comes after before Game 4, McMenamin reported that Doncic had previously made no on-court progress since returning from Spain after seeking advanced treatment on his hamstring injury.
“There’s been no progression, in terms of his on-court work,” he said on Inside the NBA. “He did some very light shooting in L.A. before this team got to Houston, but there’s still some time before we’re going to start circling a calendar date when he could be back on the court in an actual game.”
In that same vein, NBA podcaster and somewhat insider Bill Simmons reiterated on his podcast that Doncic is further back in his injury recovery than many believe.
“No Luka,” he said. “I’ve heard Luka’s not even close (to returning) yet.”
For now, the Lakers remain without a Doncic injury return timeline.
What About An Austin Reaves Injury Return For The Lakers?
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 25: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts for a LA Clippers foul during the first half at Crypto.com Arena on November 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Despite not having Doncic for the entire series, it hasn’t been as bad news as the Lakers had initially thought. They are up three games to one against the Rockets, and can close out the first-round series in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Moreso, an Austin Reaves injury return appears to be on the horizon. He was listed as questionable for the prior two games, but didn’t end up playing, as the Lakers didn’t feel the shooting guard had made a full recovery.
However, as Charania recently reported, the idea of Reaves coming back for Game 5 remains very much in play.
“Austin Reaves, we’ll see the next couple of days how he feels,” the insider said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He could play on Wednesday. He was a game-time decision for Game 3 and Game 4. There was a chance he was going to play. He had a Grade 2 oblique strain, four to six weeks, that four-week period is coming up here closer to the end of this week. I think Game 5 is very much within realm for him.”
Reaves was a game-time decision before Game 4, and though ruled out, there was reportedly a surprise within the Lakers organization that he had recovered from his injury quicker than the initial timeline.
His official injury status for Game 5 remains uncertain, but it appears Reaves is closer than ever to making his return.
Still, for at least the rest of the series against Houston, the Lakers are without Doncic, as he continues to recover from his hamstring strain.
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