The Los Angeles Lakers have yet another injury scare now that Luka Dončić has a finger sprain. As if LeBron James’ injury before the season even started hasn’t been hard enough, not having Dončić makes the problem worse.
However, James isn’t expected to be out too long, and it appears Dončić won’t be either. The Lakers would certainly prefer both play sooner rather than later, but they also want to ensure both will be around for when the stakes are at their highest.
What’s the Latest Lakers’ Update on Luka Dončić?
On NBA Today, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed that the Lakers don’t expect Dončić to be out for too long. At this point, it’s just a precaution.
“I spoke to a source within the organization on Sunday, and he expressed optimism to me that this would not be a situation where one week becomes two weeks, two weeks become three weeks,” McMenamin said. “(The Lakers) believe that giving him some time right now should be enough to address it, and we’re talking about Luka back in the lineup next week.”
“[The Lakers] believe that giving him some time right now should be enough to address it, and we’re talking about Luka back in the lineup next week.”@mcten gives an injury update on Lakers star Luka Doncic 🏀 pic.twitter.com/li1F35sLfL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 27, 2025
Thus far, the Lakers haven’t suffered too much without Dončić, having beaten the Sacramento Kings after Austin Reaves’ dominant 51-point performance. However, it goes without saying that they will need both Dončić and James if they want any chance of winning a title.
The Lakers have enough on their plate trying to be conservative with James as he ages. Dončić isn’t nearly as old as James is, but he is coming off a season where he missed 32 games overall. He entered this season in much better shape, but the Lakers cannot afford to have any big missteps this season.
This doesn’t sound serious at all, and the Lakers seem comfortable letting the superstar rest until he isn’t fully 100%. However, they are not leaving anything up to chance this season, as this is a very short window on their hands to have both him and James on the same team at the same time while both are among the NBA’s best players.
Every game counts for the Lakers this season, as almost the entirety of the Western Conference wants to make the playoffs. They have survived without Dončić, but luckily, they won’t be without him for too long to risk digging a hole they may not be able to dig out of.
