NBA · Live Wire
Luka Dončić cleared for unrestricted Lakers training camp
Dončić says he feels ready to return after a Grade 2 left hamstring strain ended his 2025-26 campaign early.
Lead
Luka Dončić will open Los Angeles Lakers training camp without restrictions from the left hamstring injury that kept him out of action for the closing stretch of last season. Source Source
Speaking on Media Day on 28 September, Dončić said he felt well and was ready to return after a lengthy absence from playing basketball. Source Source
The unrestricted clearance makes him available for full participation as camp begins, rather than continuing a rehabilitation programme during that period. Source Source
The diagnosis
Dončić suffered a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring on 2 April, during the third quarter of the Lakers’ defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Source Source
The injury cost him the final 15 regular-season games and the whole Lakers postseason. Source Source
Recovery reporting placed his medical clearance for full basketball activity in late May, roughly two and a half weeks after the Lakers’ playoff elimination. Source
A subsequent update said he had been fully cleared for basketball activities by mid-June, following the April strain. Source
The latest Media Day updates are consistent with that progression: Dončić said the hamstring would not limit him when camp opened. Source Source
Sporting impact
Dončić’s availability gives the Lakers unrestricted access to him at the start of camp after they completed their postseason without him. Source Source
His return also restores a player who has described the coming season as a new challenge and said he feels honoured by a leadership role with the Lakers. Source
The camp clearance is for full basketball participation, so there is no stated hamstring restriction attached to his opening workload. Source Source
One report nevertheless indicated that the Lakers may use a lighter preseason workload for Dončić despite his clearance, given his importance to the team. Source
That possibility is framed as workload management rather than a reported medical limitation, because the same reporting says he will not be restricted in camp. Source
Notes
The available reports agree on the central point: Dončić is fully recovered and will enter training camp without hamstring restrictions. Source Source Source Source
They provide two recovery milestones — clearance in late May and full clearance by mid-June — without presenting them as conflicting accounts. Source
The remaining uncertainty concerns preseason usage, as the prospect of a lighter workload is reported only as a possibility rather than as a confirmed plan. Source
For now, Dončić’s own Media Day position is that he feels ready to play again after the long lay-off. Source Source
Key facts
5 data pointsSources used in this piece
4 sources