Luka Doncic Has a Detour Planned Before Returning to Lakers

Before returning to the United States, Luka Doncic is staying in Madrid to watch a special Euroleague clash.

Luka Doncic | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic has been away from Los Angeles for nearly two weeks, getting treatment on a Grade 2 left hamstring strain he picked up against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. He is heading back soon.

Slovenian outlet Ekipa has the latest on his return timeline. "Luka Dončić will return to Los Angeles on Friday," the outlet reported.

But before that, he is making a stop in Madrid.

"Before Luka returns to the US, he will watch the match between his beloved clubs in Madrid. Fate (well, the calendar of Europe's strongest club competition) has decreed that Real Madrid and Red Star Belgrade will face each other in the final round of the Euroleague regular season in the Spanish capital," Ekipa wrote.

Real Madrid is where Doncic spent his formative years as a basketball player before making the jump to the NBA. Red Star Belgrade holds a different kind of meaning. It is the club he grew up supporting, a loyalty passed down from his father, Sasa Doncic.

"Luka will therefore be able to watch his two great loves live before returning to Los Angeles, and the match between Real and Red Star will be watched by many of the greatest tennis players of all time, another big Red Star fan, Serb Novak Djokovic," Ekipa added.

When Can Luka Doncic Return for the Lakers Playoffs

Luka Doncic | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Once he lands in Los Angeles, the Lakers will re-evaluate him. Coach JJ Redick has already said both Doncic and Austin Reaves are out indefinitely, and there will be no update until the medical staff sees where things stand.

The trip to Spain was not random. Europe allows regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections in stronger doses than what is available in the United States. Doncic went to Madrid specifically to access that, working with Dr. Javier Barrio, a physician with ties to his former club.

Some fans are hoping he gets back during the first round and plays against the Houston Rockets. But hamstring injuries are tricky. Doncic has dealt with this same hamstring multiple times already in his career, and pushing back too early risks turning a partial tear into something far worse. A more serious injury at this stage could cost him months, not weeks.

For now, LeBron carries the load. The Lakers went 2-2 without Doncic and Reaves to close the regular season and locked up the No. 4 seed. Getting Luka back healthy matters more than getting him back fast.

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