Major Development in Luka Doncic’s All-Star Game Status

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic missed his fourth consecutive game on Thursday night, as he was unable to take the floor against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, due to a nagging hamstring injury.

With Doncic still dealing with a hamstring injury, his status for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the Intuit Dome has been uncertain. However, NBA insider Marc Stein gave a significant update on Doncic's status on Friday.

Luka Doncic 'On Course' to Play in All-Star Game

The Lakers’ Luka Dončić is indeed on course to play for a short stint in Sunday’s All-Star Game after a strong pregame workout Thursday, league sources tell @TheSteinLine. pic.twitter.com/nUvNyyN8Gf
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 13, 2026

"The Lakers’ Luka Dončić is indeed on course to play for a short stint in Sunday’s All-Star Game after a strong pregame workout Thursday," Stein reported, according to his league sources.

With hamstring injuries being something not to be taken lightly, as they can be an injury that can easily flare up again if played on too soon, Doncic likely won't see much time on the floor on Sunday.

If all goes well, Doncic makes an appearance in the All-Star Game for the fans and doesn't push it too hard to avoid further injury. The next chance for him to make a return to the floor for the Lakers after the annual NBA event will be on Feb. 20, when the team plays host to Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lakers Sit in 5th Place in the West

LeBron James Luka Doncic Los Angeles Lakers — Jan 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) walk to the bench during a time out in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After the All-Star break, the Lakers have 28 regular-season games left on the schedule before the NBA playoffs get underway on April 18. Los Angeles is currently sitting in fifth place in the highly competitive Western Conference behind the Houston Rockets (33-20), Denver Nuggets (35-20), San Antonio Spurs (38-16) and Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14).

Obviously, not many games separate these teams in the top tier of the West, meaning the final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign will be interesting, to say the least. There isn't much margin for error for the Lakers or any of the aforementioned teams in the conference, so every game will be crucial to seeding in the West moving forward.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the team's schedule doesn't get any easier during the final 28 games, as it will be tough right out of the gate with matchups against the Clippers, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in consecutive games.

Only time will tell how the Lakers hold up in the final 28 games, but they'll definitely need Doncic and company healthy to secure a high seed in the West and make a deep run in the NBA playoffs.