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 the 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.
So after 2 Lakers games with first full season for Luka and 3 new rotation players you’ve determined that they’re not jelling l? LOL!!!
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!?
Is it still considered a freak injury when the player is constantly injured?
Luka has averaged 66 games a year while being the highest usage player in the NBA every single year. That’s hardly “constantly injured.” And yes jamming a finger is not the same as a recurring leg injury.
Who on earth said the Lakers are top 4? Its OKC/DEN/GSW/MINN/SAS/HOU are the cream of the crop in the West.
Are you “challenged?” I said the Lakers are top 4 team in the West this year! And I write this as the Lakers won end to end against the Kings without Luka or KeBron.
You do realize the Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA. They have no defense, no center, and four or five players who all play the exactly the same. So beating the Kings is in something to be happy about.
If you actually think the Lakers are a top four team in the Western conference, then your delusional Laker fan and you’re the exact reason why your team is in the position they are in now
They beat the full kings line up without their 2 best players (each rated top ten in the league), and 3 other rotation players out.
What position are they in, btw? The Lakers were number 3 last year in the West and they got significantly better this year.
It doesn’t matter what either say. We will see where things end up at the end of the season. Btw, I am a Luka fan and used to follow the Mavs, even though I live in SoCal. In 2023, I told people the Mavs were going to get by the Suns (top rated team in the West), but I’m worried about the Warriors. In 2024, when they made the trades in February I predicted that they will get to the Finals, but lose to the Celtics.
I will tell you here that the Lakers are coming out of the West this year, and taking it all. Obviously, it depends on health, but they definitely have the team to do it.
Its not Luka that is the problem. If the team was built around Luka with a better coach yes I would say you have a chance. The problem is when LeBron comes back. I said this many times AR in a bench role (mono ginobili) is a hall a famer type career. The problem there is only only one basketball and if you ever played high level ball rhythm is a thing. 2nd the defense. Luka, AR and LeBron can not guard a park car. Luka offensive game makes up for his lack of D. However you can not hide all 3.
Now I could go on and on how the Sacramento is the worst run franchise in sports. Watched the game down 3 with 2 minutes left and they were shooting 3’s like they were Curry. They are not a good team. Many players will have season highs against the Lakers and the kings both teams have no defenders at all.
However, I really did like Ayton tonight he is a decent player when he gets a rhythm. The problem is when LeBron and Luka are playing I just don’t see him getting those touches. Also, sabonis is a power forward and the kings still seem to not figure that out
So, Luka, who has the reputation of making all his teammates l, especially centers, better than they are, and who averages nearly 9 assists a game, and LeBron who has the same reputation and averages 7 assists a game, are not getting the ball to Ayton, right?
Luka has looked great in defense. You put on Smart or Vando with those three and Ayton you have a great combo. Plus, those three guys will only play about 20 mins a game together. The rest of the time it will be the two of them and two or three strong defenders.
The Lakers are coming out of the West this year!
@Johnybgood
Clearly you are a die hard Lakers fan and I admire non bandwagon fans. So I do appreciate that. However your starting to sound like a cowboy fan.
Luka can make his team better, but it doesn’t matter 1) if you have a coach who has no idea what they are doing 2) have no You defensive players that can stop anybody. 3) there is only one ball so AR, LeBron and Luka play with the ball in their hands. So unless LeBron is going to take a back seat(I highly doubt) the Lakers are going to get crushed against a top 5 seed. The next year I believe you guys would be able to use the 50 million LeBron seems to be using up to bring around defensive players. I do believe Luka can lead a team(we seen it) I’m just trying to say the way that the Lakers are constructed. They have no chance especially with LeBron and Luka and AR all on the floor. You seem to think they’re going to be better because there are players aren’t playing when I’m letting you know that they actually will be playing better when all of them are not playing
Redick is a very good coach. All the players think so (Luka last week said that Redick is great and that he hopes he plays the rest of his career for Redick).
Last season Luka, AR and LeBron on the court together were plus 26. So have no idea what you’re talking about that they cannot play together.
Have you been watching the games? Smart, Vando, LaRavia and Vincent have been playing great defense, including point of attack defense. Luka also played great defense, and Austin is a smart defender.
If the Lakers are healthy they are coming out of the West. They may lose the next few games without Luka cause they played heavy minutes yesterday against the Kings and the Lakers are down 5 rotational players (including Vincent now).
But how hard and connected the team is playing bodes well for the season.
I do know what I am talking about but you will defend no matter what I say. Remember stand on this on your first round exit. Hopefully you keep hitting free throws and play the kings all the time. The fact you said this team plays defense, lets me know you are a super Laker fan and will blame anything and everything when it goes wrong.
@Johnybgood
Only “challenged” person here is you, if you believe in this absolutely terrible Lakers roster. They are a BOTTOM 4 team in the loaded west this year. They have absolutely no way to beat Wemby or even Steph, argue with a wall.
I don’t blame you, the fault is 100% me. You can’t help having mental limitations. I, on the other hand, can ignore you from now on!
@johnnybgood YDKB
@Jonnybgood
And all it took was 28 more free throws to “win” by 7 points!!
From Luka Magic to Luka Tragic. I like your positivity though – naïveté perhaps? – about the Lakers’ outlook. High usage NBA players get hurt, Johnnybgood – usually not QUITE this soon. And last time I checked, LBJ was still on the roster.
He sprained his finger reaching in. Relaxxxxx, lol!!!
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!!!
*Luka will not be in the playoffs this year. West is far too loaded. Lakers have disgustingly terrible depth this year, they are so cooked without Luka and even without Lebron.
Luka won’t average a triple double. his teammates don’t shoot well enough to get his apg over ten.
Sorry but Luka will not average a triple double, while Lebron is still in the roster… Lebron will always play the PG so he can reach Stockton’s assist record… -_-
You didn’t watch the Lakers last year after acquiring Luka or the last few years where he wanted Reaves and Russell to handle the ball more and more.
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!
And still won’t make the finals out of the west. But least with everyone healthy the excuses will be minimal when they don’t make it to the finals. Hopefully.
You might be the most delusional Lakers fan on here, and there’s a few of them.
Get ready for last place!
Rui stinks
LaRavia stinks
Smart stinks
Vincent is the worst rotational player in the whole league
Vanderbilt stinks
Health aint saving any of them from being mid.
Do you say dumb things just to provoke or you’re just “challenged?”
I do correct basketball analysis. You live in fantasyland if you think this season’s Lakers was ever going to be anything but a play-in team at best and bottom 4 at worst. This supporting cast around Bron, Luka and Reaves is absolutely terrible and doing nothing this season. Lakers should trade literally everyone – including Luka – and try to build fresh.
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.
Its never a good thing to go 5-20 at any point in the season if you are the Lakers. The fact Steph is thriving is going to have the whole Lakers fanbase seething. Lakers should tank and sell.
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.
They’ll lose every game Luka misses.
The lakers just beat the kings without Luka or LeBron.
The Kings are a terrible team. Along with the Jazz and Suns and Lakers. Thats the bottom 4 of the loaded West this year. Clippers might join them if injuries get them. Everyone else is legit.
@Jonnyb
Well, in my defense, I only predicted there would be the usual double digit fta margin in the Lakers’ favor, not the absurd +28.
It’s hard to lose a game with that many more unguarded chances to score.
The Oings shot 43 3-pointers to the Lakers 25. The Lakers were driving into the paint where you are much more likely to get fouled.
In game one against the Warriors, the Lakers shot 60% from the free throw line, while the Warriors shot 90% for 8 point differential. Also, the Warriors shot 43% from the 3-point line while the Lakers shot 25%.
The Lakers shot way below their averages in both free throws she 3-pointers, while the Warriors shot above their averages in both. The first game was a shooting anomaly and nothing else.
Just like that, Lakers are a bottom 4 team this year.
Washington_Bonercats looking real silly right about now lmao
link to hoopsrumors.com
At least its not a chicken finger injury lol
Luka is a glass house. Terrible trade for LA.
No worries. The refs have the Lakers covered as witnessed by that absurd FTA disparity last night.
Is there a way t0 save this series of comments? There are enough chestnuts and outright ravings here to make looking back at them in 6 months time a delicious experience.
Just bookmark it, it will still be available.
Yes, yes. That’s it! Thanks for reminding me. This will be fun to revisit.