How Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury impacts Lakers playoff picture, NBA MVP race and more

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How Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury impacts Lakers playoff picture, NBA MVP race and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Lakers will be without their talisman to finish the regular season. They'll wait with bated breath to see if that absence lasts longer.

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Luka Doncic, Los Angeles' supernova who has, alongside LeBron James, powered the Lakers to the third-best record in the Western Conference thus far, was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season Friday, one day after going down with a left hamstring injury against the Thunder.

The ailment -- the second Doncic has suffered to his left hamstring since the start of the regular season -- spells an end to a glistening campaign for the point guard, who led the league in scoring for the second time in his career. Doncic emerged as a dark-horse MVP candidate towards the end of the year, lighting up the stat sheet for one of the NBA's best teams in 2026. His absence looms large on a Los Angeles team not yet fixed to its postseason seeding. It also could prevent Doncic from hoisting a bit of hardware come the end of the regular season.

Here's what you need to know about the consequences of Doncic's injury, as well as a potential timetable for his return.

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How long is Luka Doncic out?

Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular season with his injury, although a timetable for his return remains unknown. ESPN's Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin reported that Doncic is out indefinitely with the ailment. He'll miss at least two weeks as a result of the injury -- a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

It's entirely possible that the Lakers ruled Doncic out in an abundance of caution. Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters that Doncic was cleared to return against the Thunder, with the team opting against doing so in the hopes of minimizing risk.

"We checked him out, he got worked on, he was cleared...we're not going to put a player at risk," Redick said.

While refusing to speculate on the severity of Doncic's injury during an April 3 appearance on "NBA Today", Charania did acknowledge that Doncic's absence "can be measured potentially in weeks."

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Grade 2 hamstring strain recovery timeline

Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, according to Charania.

Hamstring issues are a fickle sorceress, with different sprains resulting in different recovery timelines. Grade 1 strains -- your proverbial "pulled hamstring" -- often heal in 1-2 weeks.

Grade 2 strains, meanwhile, are harsher on the tissue, typically resulting in some muscle tearing, according to the Mayo Clinic. They often are accompanied by a 3-6 week absence -- a timeline that could prove fatal to the Lakers' postseason hopes.

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Is Luka Doncic still eligible to win NBA MVP?

With Doncic ruled out through the end of the regular season, he is officially unable to capture MVP honors. He'll finish the season with 64 regular season games played, one short of the 65-game minimum needed to qualify for the prize.

There is but one road back for Doncic if he hopes to take home -- or compete -- for the NBA's greatest individual prize. According to Tim Bontemps, Doncic could file an "extraordinary circumstances" grievance with an independent arbitrator. Doncic missed two games in December due to the birth of his daughter. He could claim his son's birth constituted an extraordinary circumstance and attempt to retrieve a waiver to remain award-eligible.

Still, an arbitrator couldn't pass judgement on Doncic's challenge until after the season. With Doncic the third- or fourth-horse in a three- or four-horse race for MVP, Doncic's chances already appear futile. However, All-NBA appearances can prove similarly profitable as far as supermax contracts are concerned, giving Doncic all the more reason to launch a proceeding against the NBA's ruling.

In a statement released to Charania on Friday, Doncic's agent, Bill Duffy, announced that his agency, WME Basketball, would be applying for the extraordinary circumstances grievance on Doncic's behalf:

Los Angeles Lakers playoff picture

Doncic's injury could prove costly to the Lakers' playoff seeding. They have already locked up a postseason berth and, as of April 3, sit in the third seed, set to face off against the Timberwolves.

However, Los Angeles sits just one game ahead of the fourth-place Nuggets and 2.5 ahead of the fifth-place Rockets. 

The Lakers currently have the 17th-best remaining strength of schedule. They're set to play the Thunder, Suns, Jazz, Mavericks and Warriors in their final five games.

Here's a look at the Western Conference playoff standings ahead of the April 3 slate of games:

SeedTeamRecordGames Back1.Thunder*61-16—2.Spurs*59-182.03.Lakers*50-2711.04.Nuggets*49-2812.05.Rockets*47-2913.56.Timberwolves46-3014.57.Suns42-3519.08.Trailblazers40-3821.59.Clippers39-3822.010.Warriors36-4125.0

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