Lakers star Luka Doncic to miss rest of regular season with hamstring injury
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular season after sustaining a Grade 2 right hamstring injury, throwing his playoff availability into doubt.
The franchise’s championship odds plummeted from 30-1 to 100-1 in the immediate aftermath of the announcement.
While the Lakers have not provided a definitive timeline for a return, Grade 2 hamstring tears typically require at least a month of rehabilitation.
The setback halts a historic individual campaign for the league’s leading scorer.
He has averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds across 64 appearances this season.
Award eligibility under threat
Having played 64 matches, the All-NBA guard falls one appearance short of the league’s mandated 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards.
His agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed they will file an extraordinary circumstances challenge to preserve his eligibility.
The appeal will rely on an exception covering two games missed in December for the birth of his daughter.
If the application is denied, the playmaker will be ineligible for his sixth All-NBA selection, though his current contract extension remains financially unaffected.
“This season, Luka has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference.”
Los Angeles currently sit third in the Western Conference standings, holding a slender one-game advantage over the chasing pack.
Curry nears Warriors return
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors are preparing to welcome back Stephen Curry.
The veteran point guard is expected to feature against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
He has been sidelined for 27 matches while recovering from a significant right knee injury.
Draft lottery preparations
For the 10 franchises already eliminated from playoff contention, attention has firmly shifted to the upcoming NBA Draft lottery on 10 May.
The 2026 draft class is widely considered exceptionally deep, prompting overt tanking efforts from several struggling teams.
Meanwhile, the league’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration remains ongoing, with Commissioner Adam Silver notably avoiding the topic at a recent board of governors meeting.