Lakers' Luka Doncic Faces Criticism as Trust Issues Follow Him Into the Next Season

Luka Doncic's playoff absence has triggered real questions about whether the Los Angeles Lakers can count on him when it matters most.

Luka Doncic | William Liang-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers just got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, and their franchise player wasn't available for a single playoff game. That's the kind of thing that doesn't just go away in the offseason, and the questions around Luka Doncic are only getting louder.

On First Take, via @TheDunkCentral on X, Kendrick Perkins was asked whether the Lakers should prioritize LeBron James or Luka Doncic this offseason. He didn't hesitate.

"This is easy, it's a no-brainer," Perkins said. "Doing right by LeBron James. And here's why. Because when it matters the most, when it's time for those 16 games, the playoffs that I'm talking about, you best to believe that LeBron James is going to be available. You best to believe that LeBron James is going to be healthy. I can't say the same thing about Luka Doncic."

That's a strong thing to say about a guy who averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds this regular season. But Perkins wasn't done.

"Luka is starting to get in that territory of Joel Embiid. When you need him the most, and it comes postseason time, he's not available."

- Kendrick Perkins

(Via @FirstTake )

pic.twitter.com/1Xd6Rkektz

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 14, 2026

Kendrick Perkins Compares Luka Doncic to Joel Embiid

The injury pattern Perkins is pointing to is real. This year it was a Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered in early April, which wiped out the final stretch of the regular season and all of the playoffs. It was actually the second time Doncic hurt the same hamstring during the 2025-26 season.

The year before, he left a first-round game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a back issue. The year before that, he was battling through a knee injury heading into the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks.

That's what led Perkins to this:

"But when it comes to being reliable, Luka is starting to get in that territory of Joel Embiid," Perkins said. "When you need him the most and it comes postseason time, he's not available. ... We don't have the worries with a senior citizen in LeBron James. He's available. So if you're the Lakers, you definitely want to try to do right by LeBron James."

James averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists against the Thunder. At 41. Without his co-star. That's the contrast Perkins is drawing, and it's hard to look away.

Doncic is expected to be fully healthy for training camp in the fall, and the Lakers are moving forward with him as the cornerstone of the franchise. But heading into next season, the trust question Perkins laid out isn't going away anytime soon, and Doncic will need to answer it on the court.

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