Lakers Get Optimistic Luka Doncic Injury Update; Out vs. Warriors

Lakers fans were left with uncertainty in the first half of their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

Luka Doncic turned the ball over and walked back to the other side of the court while holding his hamstring. He stayed on the court for a few more possessions before having the medical staff look at him after a timeout.

He wouldn’t return to the game, and Doncic will now undergo an MRI on the injured hamstring.

Lakers get positive news on Luka Doncic injury

“He didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” head coach JJ Redick said in the postgame press conference. “It’s too early to say, but he had a sore hamstring.”

With time to sleep on it, ESPN insider Dave McMenamin reported on Friday that “there is some initial optimism that Luka Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his left hamstring.”

The Lakers will be patient with the setback and are listing Doncic as out for Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

How serious can the hamstring injury be?

To put an injury like this into perspective, Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green suffered a hamstring strain in preseason training camp. The guard would miss the start of the season, but came back and re-aggravated the injury.

Green has dealt with the lingering pain for the entire 2025-26 season and has played in just five games for the Suns.

It’s been the same injury that the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson have dealt with as well. Gordon has played in only 20 games this season, while Watson will miss an extended period of time.

Los Angeles hasn’t given a label to Doncic’s injury other than saying that it’s soreness. This could change as the days play out.

It appears that the Lakers are going to be without their big three for at least one more game. Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves have played in just 10 games together this season.