Doncic was on the Lakers’ bench in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, wearing street clothes as he cheered from the sideline. The team has not announced a return timeline and is preparing for the possibility that Doncic, along with Austin Reaves, will miss the entire first-round series, though a late-arrival remains a possibility.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick described both Reaves and Doncic as “out indefinitely,” with no specific return date currently in sight. The organization is proceeding under the assumption that they will be unavailable for the first round.
Meanwhile, Doncic has been receiving treatment in Madrid for his hamstring and is expected to rejoin the team in Los Angeles ahead of the playoff series against Houston. His return would be re-evaluated once he is back in the United States, as monitoring of the injury continues.
If Doncic and Reaves remain out, the Lakers would likely deploy a starting lineup of Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. Still, there is a possibility that Doncic could return in the middle of the Rockets-Lakers series if the injury allows for a timeline shift.
