The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to host the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday, April 18. The Lakers managed to snag the No. 4 seed in the West to clinch home court advantage in the opening series, but they'll likely have to take on Houston without two of their biggest contributors.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have each been out since the Lakers' 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, but there are new updates on the L.A. stars.

News emerged, during a segment on ESPN's NBA Today Monday, April 13, that Dončić is reportedly traveling back to the United States after undergoing "multiple" injections on his left hamstring over the last week in Spain to promote healing from his grade 2 strain and potentially expedite his return to the floor.

On Lakers star Luka Doncic’s impending return to the U.S. after treatments in Spain for NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/ZWWSelaZ5L

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2026

He is expected to rejoin the Lakers by Friday, April 17, though it remains unclear whether or not the treatment has sped up his recovery timeline from the standard 4-6 weeks.

Reaves, meanwhile, has been rehabbing his grade 2 left oblique muscle strain in Los Angeles and was also originally given a return window of 4-6 weeks.

"Both of these guys going into the playoffs, there is an expectation that they will be sidelined an indefinite period of time, just how soon (remains to be seen)," ESPN's Shams Charania said on-air. "They're both trying to get back ASAP."

If both original timelines hold up, Dončić and Reaves would be out through at least the first week of May. But while the Lakers aren't expecting Reaves back against Houston, Dončić will reportedly be re-evaluated once he rejoins the team for a possible return in the first round.