Lakers Receive Positive News on Luka Doncic's Recovery Timeline

Luka Doncic went from playing some of the best basketball of his life to boarding a flight to Europe in the span of a few days. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers have an early update on where his recovery stands.

According to Slovenian outlet Ekipa, Doncic has already wrapped up his first round of treatment in Spain. The outlet reported that "Doncic has already completed the first series of therapies," and that he then traveled briefly to Ljubljana to spend time with his two daughters before the next phase begins.

More importantly, the report speculates he will return to Los Angeles, maybe around the start of the second round of the playoffs.

The trip to Slovenia was not a detour, it was part of the plan. A player who is mentally checked in recovers better, and with the playoffs days away, the Lakers need Doncic locked in on both fronts when he returns.

After Ljubljana, Doncic heads back to Madrid for a second series of therapies under Dr. Javier Barrio, a physician connected to Real Madrid, Doncic's former club. This is not a random choice of location. Doncic grew up in Madrid, speaks the language, and knows the city. Comfort matters during recovery.

Luka Doncic Stem Cell Treatment Playoff Return Timeline Explained

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic — Luka Doncic | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The injury happened on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A Grade 2 left hamstring strain typically takes four to six weeks to heal, which would rule him out for the entire first round.

But stem cell treatments and platelet-rich plasma therapy are less restricted in Europe, meaning they can be administered in more potent forms than what is available in the United States.

Medical experts have suggested this approach could cut the standard recovery timeline in half, putting Doncic back on the floor in two to three weeks. The first round starts April 18. Two to three weeks from that lands right around when a second round would begin, which matches the return window reported out of Slovenia.

That means the Lakers need to win a first-round series without him and without Austin Reaves, who is also out four to six weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain.

At 52-29 and holding at least the fourth seed in the West for the playoffs, the Lakers need LeBron James and the rest of the roster to step up and get past the first round. If they can do that, Doncic and Reaves could both be back and ready for the second round.

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