NBA superstar and MVP candidate Luka Doncic left the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and is expected to have an MRI sometime on Friday.
In the immediate aftermath of the injury, during a game in which the Lakers trailed all night, major concerns arose about Doncic’s status for NBA end-of-season awards, specifically the All-NBA team and potentially the MVP trophy.
With just 64 games played this season, Doncic will not hit the 65-game minimum under the league’s rule. However, according to new reports from multiple insiders, Doncic and the Lakers still might have a chance to take home some end-of-season awards.
Lakers Get Good Luka Doncic News After Injury Update
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
According to Shams Charnia of ESPN, Doncic has been ruled out indefinitely, meaning he has no return timeline, will miss the rest of the regular season, and won’t hit the 65-game rule for end-of-season awards, including the MVP.
The Lakers, rightfully so, have been making a strong and even shameless push for Doncic to win the MVP this season on social media.
While he has been playing some of the best basketball of his career, he still trails behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama in MVP odds, with his chances dropping even further after the injury.
However, while his status based on the 65-game rule is currently in question, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, there is a way for Doncic to still qualify for All-NBA and MVP, even if he doesn’t play this regular season again.
“As I just reported on @SportsCenter, there is one way Luka Doncic can be eligible for end-of-season awards: by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance over missing two games in December over the birth of his child. An arbitrator would rule on it after the regular season,” he wrote on X.
In a followup post, Bobby Marks of ESPN highlighted the league rule that allows players to file for extraordinary circumstances, which, in the case of Doncic, would be missing two games to see the birth of his second child earlier in the season.
Additionally, Lakers insider Dan Woike of The Athletic outlined the same argument Doncic and Los Angeles could have to keep him in contention for end-of-season awards. While fellow superstars Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards have since been ruled out for MVP, All-NBA, or other honors, Doncic has a pathway back to further his career resume this season.
According to him, there is a ‘belief’ that Doncic would benefit from making the appeal after missing the two games.
“While it’s unknown if or when Dončić could return in the Lakers’ final five regular-season games, there is a belief that the two games he missed to be with family in Europe for the birth of his child would meet the league’s criteria for an exception,” he wrote.
“Luka Doncic intends to apply for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” to the 65-game rule, per his agent Bill Duffy,” Underdog NBA wrote on X.
That would mean good news for Doncic and the Lakers, as the team has been making a strong push for him to win the MVP award this season.
Luka Doncic’s MVP-Level Season For The Lakers
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
In 64 games, Doncic has put up 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists on 47.6% shooting from the field.
He was coming off his second Player of the Month award amid his historic performances, while becoming one of two players to score 600 points in the month of March.
While Doncic was not high in MVP odds in the middle stretch of the season, his near-40-point scoring average in March helped vault him up the ladder for the award. That was also in part due to the Lakers’ strong run, solidifying a spot as the third seed in the Western Conference, and going 15-2 in the month, the second best regular in the league in that span.
Doncic finished with just 13 points on 3/10 shooting, along with four rebounds, seven assists, and six turnovers in 26 minutes before going down with the injury in the game against the Thunder.
While the full extent of Doncic’s hamstring injury is not yet known, no experts have reported that he is expected to miss the playoffs for the Lakers. However, until an appeal is made and confirmed by the league, his status for end-of-season awards is officially up in the air.
Be on the lookout for a new Doncic injury update over the weekend, as understanding his full status will be crucial for the Lakers in the final stretch of the regular season.
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