Lakers' Updated 2026 NBA Title Odds Revealed After Luka Doncic's Devastating Hamstring Injury

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić will miss the rest of the regular season and potentially longer with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Due to the injury, the Lakers' championship odds have gone from 30-1 to 125-1, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Dončić, who has averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game this season, suffered the injury in the third quarter of his team's 139-96 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

L.A. had won 16 of 18 games leading into Thursday to move to 50-26 on the season. The team had fallen back to Earth after a brutal first half against OKC, but the Lakers still had five regular season games to recapture some positive momentum before the playoffs. L.A. had already clinched a playoff spot and will be seeded anywhere from third to sixth in the Western Conference playoffs.

Now there's clear concern Dončić could miss playoff time. The postseason begins on April 18 or 19, with the second round starting in early May. Although the Lakers haven't given a timeline, team beat writer Jovan Buha did state the average timetable to return is three-to-six weeks. That would put Dončić back on the court anywhere from the first round to the second round. He could, in theory, be back in time for the entirety of the conference finals if they made it that far.

As it stands now, the Lakers will have to rely heavily on Austin Reaves and LeBron James without Dončić leading the way. Marcus Smart should see more work as well. He's been out with an ankle contusion but could return Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Luke Kennard, who arrived in town via a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, is another candidate for more playing time. He notably played 33 minutes against the Thunder on Thursday.