Lakers' Luka Dončić Could Be Back Sooner Than Expected

Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with several injuries to some of their best players, including LeBron James missing the first 14 games due to sciatica and Austin Reaves sitting out 19 games with a calf strain. Now, Luka Doncic is dealing with a hamstring injury, which will keep him sidelined for a third straight game on Tuesday.

Even though Doncic is on the mend from a hamstring injury, which can be tricky and can linger, the superstar guard wants to play in Thursday's game against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, and hopes to be on the floor for the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the Intuit Dome, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Luka Doncic Hopes to Play in NBA All-Star Game

Feb 3, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) gestures after scoring in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Doncic was able to run Monday and planned to participate in a five-on-five session with contact on Tuesday, sources told ESPN. He has not ruled out the possibility of playing against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Thursday and hopes to play in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome.

As for James, his impressive streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections will come to an end after he misses Tuesday's game against the visiting San Antonio Spurs. He was ruled out for the matchup with the Spurs, along with Doncic, Reaves (calf injury management) and Marcus Smart (ankle soreness).

LeBron No Longer Eligible for NBA Awards

Feb 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

With James set to miss his 18th game during the 2025-26 campaign, he will be unable to reach the requirement of playing in 65 games during the regular season to be eligible for NBA awards, which is unfortunate.

Doncic could be in danger of being ruled out for NBA awards, as he'll miss his 10th game of the season on Tuesday night. He's definitely in the running for an All-NBA selection and is in contention to win his first NBA MVP award, as many believe it is a three-man race with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, a three-time winner.

It'll be interesting to see whether Doncic can play on Thursday against the Mavericks and then suit up for the All-Star Game on Sunday. If he plays on Sunday, he'll be on the international squad or Team World with Jokic, Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks), Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers), Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets).