Luka Dončić to miss Lakers game Thursday due to personal reasons

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Dončić on Thursday.

The team announced the star is out for its game against the Toronto Raptors due to personal reasons. No further explanation was provided for the absence. Veteran guard Marcus Smart is also out due to lower back injury management.

It will be Dončić's fifth missed game of the season, having previously missed three games in October with a finger injury and another game in early November due to rest.

Due to the personal nature of what's keeping him out Thursday, it's unclear if Dončić could miss any other games. The Raptors game is the first leg of a back-to-back, with the Lakers scheduled to fly to Boston and play the Celtics in a Prime Video game on Friday.

Outside of the absences, Dončić has spent the 2025-26 season on a tear so far. He leads the NBA with 35.3 points per game and is also averaging 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game for a team that sits at second in the Western Conference with a 15-5 record.