Los Angeles Lakers Luka Dončić returned to California on Friday after spending time in Madrid undergoing treatment for his hamstring strain. That alone was enough to make fans really believe that he could return during the playoffs, and on Saturday, Jovan Buha said that there is a "chance" the superstar guard could return during the team's first-round matchup against the Rockets.
Don't start freaking out thinking that means Dončić will return; that's not what Buha said, but it's great news that there is a possibility he could play.
.@jovanbuha says there's a chance @lukadoncic returns in the middle of the 1st round for @Lakers' match up against @HoustonRockets.
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) April 18, 2026
He says @nuggets and @celtics are teams to look for in the @nba playoffs but @okcthunder are still the "clear favorites" to repeat as champions. pic.twitter.com/JOubRKH1t3
Everything seemed all doom and gloom a couple of weeks ago when he hurt his hamstring, and even more so when the Lakers announced it was a Grade 2 strain. The average recovery time is 4 to 6 weeks. Game 3, which could be the middle of the series, will be on Friday, April 24, and Game 4 will be two days later.
If Dončić returns in Game 3, that'd put him back on the floor a little over three weeks after sustaining the injury.
The dream scenario would be for Los Angeles to take care of business against Houston to the point where the Lakers don't need Dončić to return, giving him extra time to recover. Sweeping the Rockets without their starting backcourt doesn't seem all that likely, though Kevin Durant is listed as questionable for Game 1 with a knee injury.
There is a chance Luka Doncic could return in the first round
Los Angeles was riding a high before Dončić and Reaves got hurt, climbing up to the third spot in the West after their March turnaround. The Lakers were a team that no one wanted to see, and you know what? They still are.
The fact that we're talking about Luka playing in the first round changes everything for LA. Ironically, dropping to No. 4 in the West benefited LA, as Houston was the preferred matchup among the other playoff-bound teams. That alone made it feel like the Lakers had a shot at a deep run, giving Dončić more time to recover, assuming they make it past the Rockets.
Well, now they might not need to eliminate Houston before they see Luka back on the floor again. As long as he's truly ready to return and isn't rushing it for the sake of helping his team in the playoffs (that could quickly turn into a mistake), that's welcome news for every Lakers fan.
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