Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic will travel to Europe for specialized treatment on a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, aiming to accelerate his recovery and return in time for the 2026 NBA playoffs, his agent confirmed.
The injury occurred in the third quarter of Thursday’s 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and was confirmed by MRI on Friday.
The Lakers announced Doncic will miss at least the remainder of the regular season.
A Grade 2 hamstring strain, involving a partial tear of muscle fibers, typically requires around four weeks of recovery.
With one week left in the regular season, Doncic’s absence could extend through the first round of the playoffs, a critical blow to a team built around his scoring, playmaking, and leadership.
This season, the 26-year-old Slovenian leads the NBA with 33.5 points per game while contributing 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals, averaging 7.7 rebounds and 35.8 minutes per game with efficient shooting across all areas.
The Lakers’ late-season crisis is compounded by the loss of guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique injury in the same game.
Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks.
With Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Lakers fell 134-128 to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in their first game without the duo.
Los Angeles currently sits at 50-28, tied with the Denver Nuggets but holding the tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Four regular-season games remain: hosting Oklahoma City, traveling to Golden State, and finishing at home against Phoenix and Utah.
Staying third would likely set up a first-round clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves, though a drop to fourth or fifth could cost home-court advantage.
