Rich Paul does not seem to think there is much hope left for Luka Doncic this season.
The Klutch Sports CEO Paul made some interesting comments about the Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic this week. On the latest episode of “Game Over,” the podcast that Paul co-hosts with Max Kellerman for The Ringer, Paul indicated that Doncic may be facing an even longer injury absence than expected.
“Luka and [Austin] Reaves are injured,” said Paul, per Sports Illustrated. “Luka is out, it’s trending he’s going to be out a lot longer than Austin Reaves.”
Doncic is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season (with an “out indefinitely” tag being placed on him beyond that). As for Reaves, he has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain and is expected to be out for 4-to-6 weeks.
We heard earlier this week that the 27-year-old Doncic was attempting an improbable early return and undergoing an unusual treatment in Europe to try to improve his odds. But Paul may have just tipped off the fact that Doncic’s hamstring injury is actually worse than the Lakers are leading on.
Paul, who is the agent of LeBron James (plus other current Lakers players such as Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Theiro, and Bronny James), is clearly well-connected in L.A. If Paul’s comments here are to be believed, it might not be until next October (for the 2026-27 NBA season) that we see Doncic back on the court again.
