Luka Dončić: A Rising Star in Los Angeles Spotlight

Luka Dončić is set to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, April 17, 2026, ahead of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, according to a league source confirmed by The Athletic. The Slovenian star has been sidelined since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, missing the final five games of the regular season.

Dončić traveled to Europe last week in an effort to accelerate his recovery from the injury. While he will rejoin the team on Friday, no determination has been made regarding his availability for Game 1 of the playoff series on Saturday. Lakers head coach JJ Redick said last week that Dončić would do everything possible to return, noting the general healing timeline for such strains.

During the 64 games he played this season, Dončić led the NBA in scoring with an average of 33.5 points per game. The Lakers, seeded fourth in the Western Conference, will hold home-court advantage against the fifth-seeded Rockets in the opening round.

This marks Dončić’s first playoff appearance with the Lakers following his trade to Los Angeles earlier in the 2025-26 NBA season. He has previously earned six NBA All-Star selections, five All-NBA First Team honors, and two scoring titles (2024 and 2026).