Luka Doncic's availability for ASG in question after injury update

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic's availability for All-Star Game in question after injury update

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 10:21 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic could be at risk of missing the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).

On Wednesday night, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Doncic (left hamstring strain) will miss his fourth straight game against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

The 26-year-old Slovenian reportedly plans to try to play in Sunday's All-Star Game, which features the first round-robin tournament with Team World, Team USA Stars and Team USA Stripes. If Doncic can't play, the revamped format could be doomed.

Why Luka Doncic missing All-Star Game would be terrible for new format

The NBA rebooted its All-Star Game to improve viewership and to increase competitiveness. Fans want to see the best players in the world go at it in a game that would give the winner major bragging rights.

Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) will not play against Dallas on Thursday, missing his fourth straight game, sources told ESPN. He is still progressing in his rehab and hopes to be able to make an appearance in Sunday’s All-Star game for the World Team, sources said.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 12, 2026

Doncic, who would be making his sixth appearance in the All-Star Game, has established himself as a league MVP candidate this season. Entering Wednesday night, he led the league in scoring (32.6 points per game) and ranked third in assists (8.6 assists per game). Fans would love to see him compete against Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and his Lakers teammate, forward LeBron James.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn't say much about Doncic's injury following a 136-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

"Luka continues to progress," the coach told the media.

The Lakers (32-21), who have lost two of three games since Doncic suffered the injury against the Philadelphia 76ers in a 119-115 win on Feb. 5, may urge him to sit during All-Star weekend. The event has lost its luster, as it has in other sports, giving him less incentive to play.

If Doncic sits out Sunday, many will change the channel. The new format is already somewhat confusing. And if he's not playing, that's another reason to watch something else.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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