Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic missed the last four games before the All-Star break due to a left hamstring strain.
The strain was considered to be mild and it looked like Doncic might’ve been able to return in the final game before the break against his former team the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers ultimately ruled him out though, which made sense considering the team will not get eight days off before opening up the second half.
Before the Mavericks game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the team was expressing caution with their superstar and Luka is expected to be back in the lineup next Friday against the L.A. Clippers.
“Really good. He’s progressed really good,” Redick said. “I think part of him wanted to push to get back prior to the break but we’ve gotta be cautious with soft tissues injuries. Obviously we were very cautious with Austin and you just saw what happened with Jalen Williams coming back. So we all feel comfortable with the decision to hold him out and he should be good to go post All-Star.”
Doncic was named an All-Star and recent reports have indicated he is hoping to play in Sunday’s exhibition game despite sitting out the Lakers’ last four games. When asked about it, Redick said that decision is not his.
“That’s above my pay grade,” the head coach said.
Doncic was seen getting a workout in before the Mavericks game and appeared to be moving well.
Luka is still out tonight, but good to see him moving around well in a pregame workout. pic.twitter.com/hZrdovIR8C
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 13, 2026
The Lakers are in a tight postseason race, so it is good to see that Doncic is making progress and should be ready to go after the break. It will be interesting to see if he suits up in the All-Star Game though as if he doesn’t, he would get eight straight days to rest his hamstring and be ready for the second half of the season. If he does play in the All-Star Game, it likely would be limited minutes.
Luka Doncic on World Team in 2026 NBA All-Star Game
Luka Doncic was the leading vote getter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game and was named to the World Team as the league is changing the format this year. If he suits up, he will play alongside Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Jamal Murray, and Pascal Siakam, among others.
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