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Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77, reacts to a referee’s call in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Friday, March 27, 2026. For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation. Doncic finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win.
Slovenian guard Luka Doncic will seek treatment in Europe for his grade 2 hamstring strain, his agent announced on Sunday. Renowned sports doctor Brian Sutterer, MD, believes that Doncic’s decision is disrespectful to the Los Angeles Lakers medical staff, as there is no “literature-proven” treatment available in Europe that would help the All-Star player return to basketball activities any sooner.
“I’d love to get the honest reaction of the Lakers medical staff essentially being told they aren’t good enough to rehab a hamstring strain,” Sutterer wrote on X.
“We have great literature showing good old American made platelet poor and rich plasma injections speed up hamstring recovery and decrease repeat injury
“Not aware of anything in Europe that would make a literature proven difference.”
Luka Doncic Stem Cell Therapy?
Sutterer further speculated that Doncic may have opted for alternative methods like cell-based therapies, which are popular in Europe, to accelerate his rehab. However, the sports medicine expert noted that those therapies are unproven and may not work.
“Everyone – I know there are treatments available in Europe and not here.
“I said “literature proven”. These cell based therapies in Europe that you’re reading about are far from proven,” he added.
One stem-cell therapy specialist pushed back on Sutterer’s post, claiming that his treatment can be “5x more powerful” than regular rehab processes.
Luka Doncic Eyeing Playoffs
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania reported on Sunday that Doncic is determined to rejoin the Lakers lineup for the NBA playoffs, which start on April 18. Doncic, diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain, is expected to be out for at least three to six weeks based on previous recovery times for a similar injury.
“After consultation with Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his Grade 2 left hamstring in an attempt to expedite his return to play, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tells me and
@mcten,” Charania reported via X on Sunday.
In a subsequent report, ESPN noted that Doncic had his eyes set on the playoffs.
“Though Grade 2 hamstring strains typically involve a monthlong recovery process, Duffy said Doncic is motivated to return to the Lakers’ lineup during the playoffs — which is a shared goal for Austin Reaves, who is out because of a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury,” read the report.
Reaves (oblique injury) is also sidelined for at least a month, as the report noted.
Before the shorthanded Lakers suffered a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed confidence that both Doncic and Reaves will return to the lineup for the playoffs.
“Both those guys are going to try to come back, and it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back,” Redick stressed on Sunday.
The Lakers (50-28) will next face the Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) on Tuesday night.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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