Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a left finger spain and a lower left leg contusion, the team announced today (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Slovenian star will be reexamined in about a week.
While it’s obviously unfortunate that Doncic is expected to miss multiple games, a source tell Woike there are no long-term concerns about the injuries (Twitter link).
The Lakers play four times this week — at Sacramento on Sunday, vs. Portland on Monday, at Minnesota on Wednesday, and at Memphis on Friday — before returning home to face Miami next Sunday.
Backup center Jaxson Hayes, who is battling left knee soreness, has also been downgraded to out for tonight’s game in Sacramento. It’s the second straight absence for Hayes, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter).
As we previously relayed, Doncic received MVP chants from the home crowd during Friday’s victory over Minnesota. The 26-year-old was off to an incredible start to the season, averaging a league-high 46.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.0 steal through two games.
Doncic reportedly sustained the finger injury early in Friday’s game and had the digit wrapped for the remainder of the contest. It’s unclear when the left leg injury occurred — he suffered a minor injury to opposite leg in Tuesday’s season-opening loss at Golden State.
With Doncic out and LeBron James (sciatica on his left side) still sidelined, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Dalton Knecht are among the candidates for increased play-making responsibilities.
Doncic appeared in a career-low 50 games last season, largely due to a calf strain he sustained on Christmas. He received lots of attention for getting in better shape during the offseason and had an excellent showing at EuroBasket 2025 with Slovenia.
Lakers might not even make the playoff if they have one significant injury it’s over. They will not survive in the playing game and I doubt they trade any more pieces so they can build a container around Luka next year
IMO
Lakers and Rockets are play in teams if they don’t make good trades right away
Why?
They are not Jelly like the teams and they don’t know how to utilize the teams fully
For Rockets, nobody does the point guards things
Those 10th to 15th men need to be traded
Examples
Dalton and Vando would be starters for East teams
Sheppard and Capela would be the same
If by examples you mean examples of bad takes, then I 150% agree. None of those guys would start on any legitimate East team, and guys like Sheppard would only start for teams in rebuild/tanking mode. Plus, he’s the only one of the four who may be able to fetch you something decent and even that’s not a certainty depending on how he’s valued around the league.
Lol, Lakers will be top 4 in the West this year, and legit contenders. Freak finger sprain and all if a sudden Lakers doomed, eh!?
Water wet, sunrise east.
Another sure thing will be Luka will average thirty point triple double this year, be first team All NBA, and his numbers will go up during the playoffs!!!
Clippers are a better team than Lakers and Rockets. Lottery team the Spurs too
Clippers will be a lottery team and the Rockets will be outside the top 4. They will have problems without an experienced point guard.
The Lakers took down the Wolves handily and that without LeBron in the game and the Wolves full force.
Lakers last playoffs had no center, DFS needed ankle surgery, Rui had quad issues that needed 6 weeks of rehab but he played, LeBron coming back from groin injury, Reaves played with broken toe, and Luka had two games that he was had food poisoning.
Lakers now have a true center, and added effective rotation players in Smart and LaRavia. They also have two players healthy now in Vincent and Vando m, who were injured last year.
So, a bit more health than last year, Luka full season with Lakers and in great shape, true center, and 4-5 real rotation players are significantly better than last year!
Could be a good thing in the long season. Now the back ups will get more playing time to improve and play together. JJ doesn’t use his bench enough and now he must so find teh combos that work together so when playoffs time comes they are ready in case of an injury.
I fully agree! Bronson showed his potential when Luka was out against the Jazz the first two games in the 2023 playoffs.
Lakers top 4 players scored 112 out of their 128 points last game. These next few games will be lower scoring with more focus on defense, and everyone will get a chance more on offense.