Luka Doncic revealed he never approached being healthy enough to return to the Los Angeles Lakers during the playoffs. The NBA’s leading scorer suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, causing him to miss the Lakers’ last 15 games, including the entire postseason. After the Lakers pulled off a shocking first-round victory over the Houston Rockets without Doncic, their season ended Monday night with a 115-110 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a four-game sweep.
“I know some people wanted me back, but obviously I wasn’t close to being cleared,” Doncic said. “If I could have been out there, I would have been, 100%. Everybody in that locker room knows how tough this is. This is the best time to play basketball.”
Doncic noted he has been running and shooting but has not yet progressed to contact work in practice. The Slovenian superstar likely needs another week or two before reaching that stage, pushing his total recovery time toward the two full months typically required for a hamstring injury of this severity.
Doncic acknowledged that the disappointing end overshadowed many positives from his first full season with the Lakers, where he averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games. His chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves flourished late in the regular season, as the Lakers went on a 14-2 run through March before Doncic and Reaves both sustained major injuries in the same game at Oklahoma City.
“Obviously this season didn’t end how we wanted, but I feel like the final push we made at the end of the regular season showed we could compete for a championship,” Doncic said. “I think we had a great team. We had great chemistry. Playing with AR and LeBron was an incredible experience. Two great players, and it was really fun sharing the court with them.”
Off the court, Doncic experienced a tumultuous year. He separated from his fiancée—the mother of their two daughters, who still live in Europe. Shortly after the Lakers’ season ended Monday night, Doncic announced on social media that he will not play for Slovenia’s national team this summer, as he plans to work toward obtaining joint custody of his daughters.
“First of all, I want to spend time with my daughters, and that’s probably the only thing on my mind right now,” Doncic said of his immediate summer plans. “Second, obviously get the work in and come back ready for the next season.”
While James contemplates his future after his 23rd NBA season and Reaves is expected to be in line for a major contract extension, Doncic made it clear he is focused on his future with the Lakers—the team that acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks in a seismic trade in February 2025. Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension last summer, keeping him with the 17-time NBA champions for at least two more seasons.
“I feel very comfortable,” Doncic said. “I like living here. I like playing for the Lakers. It’s one of the best organizations in the world, so just being a Laker means a lot to me, and I feel very good here.”