The 2025-26 NBA season is off to a frustrating start for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Already down LeBron James to begin the year, Los Angeles only got two games from Luka Doncic before he was added to the inactive list with multiple ailments. Fortunately for Doncic and the Lakers, the injuries don't appear to be serious, but the franchise is still down two superstars less than one week in.
Before going down, Doncic was doing everything for his team. He opened the season with games of 43 and 49 points on combined 31-of-50 (62.0 percent) shooting from the field. Needless to say, Los Angeles would like its do-it-all guard back on the floor sooner rather than later.
When will Doncic return? Here is what to know about his injuries and what they mean for him in the Lakers' upcoming stretch.
MORE: Where Luka Doncic lands in SN's top 30 player rankings for 2025-26
What is Luka Doncic's injury?
Doncic has a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion, the team announced Sunday. He was officially listed on the injury report with a finger injury.
It is unclear when exactly Doncic sustained the injuries, but he scored 49 points in 35 minutes of action on Friday, Oct. 24. His left hand was heavily taped during the game.
The team announced that he would miss time less than 48 hours later.
MORE: Ranking every NBA starter: 1-10 | 11-150
How long is Luka Doncic out?
While initially given a one-week timeline, Doncic was upgraded to "probable" for the Lakers' NBA Cup opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Oct. 31. A return for the superstar guard appears imminent.
SN's NBA PLAYER RANKINGS BY POSITION: PG | SG | SF | PF | C
Lakers schedule 2025-26
Here is the upcoming schedule for the Lakers, which includes NBA Cup action.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Oct. 31 | at Grizzlies (NBA Cup) | 9:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| Nov. 2 | vs. Heat | 9:30 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 3 | at Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 5 | vs. Spurs | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 8 | at Hawks | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nov. 10 | at Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 12 | at Thunder | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 14 | at Pelicans (NBA Cup) | 10 p.m. | — |
MORE: Ultimate guide to watching NBA on NBC, ESPN, and Amazon in 2025-26