Card Market Slumping for Luka Doncic Amid Uncertain Injury Timeline

With a hamstring strain putting his playoffs in jeopardy, Luka Doncic has seen his card market dip at a time when it should be taking off.

May 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) yells to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Collectors know that after a season ends, an athlete's card market tends to dip. While the basketball card market is up month over month and week over week, one name is noticeably struggling with their team still alive in the playoffs.

Luka Doncic.

With his injury status for the Lakers up in the air for Game 2 and beyond, his card market has started to dip a bit, according to Card Ladder.

The Uncertainty Around His Injury

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) falls to the court during a play | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring strain in an Apr. 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the original diagnosis was eight weeks, Doncic noted some initial skepticism about the length of recovery. However, this was not his first hamstring injury of the season. Doncic suffered one earlier in the season.

We know he went to Spain shortly after the injury, but didn't know the why until Wednesday. Doncic received PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy. We've heard of athletes going to Germany for treatment in recent memory, most notably Christian McCaffrey in 2024, but Spain is a first.

Game 2 against Oklahoma City will be five weeks since the original injury date, and he has yet to return to contact drills. It doesn't sound great about his return.

"I'm just doing everything I can," Doncic said. "Every day, I'm doing stuff I'm supposed to do. Obviously recovery, now I'm working. ... Just going day by day, and I feel better every day."

The Dip in his Card Market

Luka Doncic Market | Card Ladder

Despite the overall basketball market being up and your team alive in the playoffs, it is quite rare for a superstar like Doncic to see their market down. However, over the last week, his market is down 0.66%, and over the last month, it is down 1.50%.

While not catastrophic, it is certainly worth noting as the Lakers do seem unlikely to take down the Thunder in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs.

Luka Doncic 1/1 Kaboom | Card Ladder

While things are down, they aren't out with the Doncic market. He's still seen three six-figure sales since the injury, including his 2023-24 Crown Royale Green Kaboom One-of-One PSA 7, which sold for $396,500 at auction.

Luka Doncic Prizm Deca 1/1 | Card Ladder

Even in May, with the uncertainty around Doncic's timeline, the Black One-of-One Prizm Deca graded in a PSA 9 sold for $40,260. For ultra-high-end collectors, the market remains safe for Doncic, but the uncertainty around his injury and the looming end of the season for the Lakers could see a sharper cliff than usual.

With his market already down, it doesn't seem like the best time to sell unless you need the liquidity. It also stands to reason that his market will decline further in the offseason, so now would be a better time to sell if you don't want to hold on to a particular card for months.