Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) smiles after a dunk in the final minutes of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) smiles after a dunk in the final minutes of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic To Seek Specialized Treatment In Europe To Expedite Return To Play

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Matt Peralta | Last updated Apr 5, 2026 11:09 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers’ season felt like it came crashing down when Luka Doncic was forced out of the team’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder due to injury.

Doncic underwent an MRI and the results revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, a serious injury that will keep the Lakers star out for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Doncic was coming off one of the best months of his career, so the timing of the injury is incredibly cruel and a massive blow to Los Angeles’ championship hopes.

While a hamstring injury of this nature normally takes several weeks to heal, Doncic will head back to Europe for specialized treatment in an effort to speed up his return timeline, via Shams Charania of ESPN:

After consultation with Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his Grade 2 left hamstring in an attempt to expedite his return to play, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tells me and @mcten. pic.twitter.com/qutILIxzMK

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 6, 2026

It’s encouraging to hear Doncic is exploring all avenues to come back sooner, but it sounds like a major risk given hamstring injuries are susceptible to re-injury. Complicating matters further is Los Angeles is also without Austin Reaves for an extended stretch after he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury. Even if Doncic returns sooner than expected, he’d be without his running mate in Reaves.

The Lakers are stuck in a difficult position as they were playing their best basketball before Doncic and Reaves’ injuries, so punting on the rest of the year seems like a terrible waste. LeBron James has shown he still has enough gas in the tank to impact the postseason, but the organization needs to decide whether or not Doncic rushing back is worth it.

It would be great to see Doncic make a full recovery and lead the purple and gold to postseason wins, but the organization needs to be smart about the future.

JJ Redick defends decision to play Luka Doncic after apparent hamstring trouble

The Lakers had almost no chance against the Thunder as they were dominated from the opening tip. Los Angeles went into halftime trailing by 31 points and Doncic looked to be playing through a hamstring injury.

Head coach JJ Redick drew criticism for his decision to play Doncic in the second half given the injury and the score. However, Redick defended his choice and said Doncic was evaluated and cleared to play.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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