Top 7 players to watch in 2026-27 NBA season who are making the biggest injury returns: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and more

Several of the league's most recognizable names enter the 2026-27 season working their way back from serious injuries, and how fast they regain form could reshape the race in both conferences. Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton, Fred VanVleet and Trae Young headline a group of returning stars whose health will weigh heavily on their teams' postseason outlooks.7 must-watch NBA stars making a comeback in 2026-27These seven players carry outsized influence on their teams' ceilings, and each is dealing with a different stage of recovery heading into training camp. Some, like Young and Doncic, are already cleared and simply need reps. Others, like Irving and Haliburton, are working against a much longer layoff and a coaching staff that may choose caution over urgency in October and November.Luka DoncicTeamLos Angeles Lakers2025-26 stats33.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 8.3 APG, 47.6 FG%InjuryGrade 2 left hamstring strainStatusCleared for full basketball activitiesDoncic was cleared for full activity in late May, roughly two and a half weeks after the Lakers were eliminated in the second round by Oklahoma City. The hamstring strain cost him the entire postseason and, with it, a chance to build on the momentum L.A. had generated through March. He spent the offseason resting deliberately, skipping FIBA World Cup qualifiers with Slovenia to be with his daughters, and later hosted teammates for a player-run minicamp in August. Doncic is coming off a scoring title and will look to turn that into deeper playoff success, having been part of just one postseason win since arriving in Los Angeles a season and a half ago.Joel EmbiidTeamPhiladelphia 76ers2025-26 stats26.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 48.9 FG%InjuryLeft knee, plus an oblique issueStatusOptimistic entering campEmbiid's durability has been the league's longest-running question mark, yet he has still produced MVP-caliber stretches around the absences. He played just 57 of a possible 164 games across the last two seasons, but says the knee itself is no longer the primary concern. An oblique injury and other setbacks limited him more than the knee did. He now has Jaylen Brown and LeBron James around him in Philadelphia, and a healthy Embiid could finally push the 76ers past the conference finals barrier that has eluded every MVP season of his career.Kyrie IrvingTeamDallas Mavericks2024-25 stats24.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 47.3 FG%InjuryTorn right ACLStatusRamping up via summer pickup gamesDallas shut Irving down at last season's All-Star break once the team's lottery odds became the priority, and he'll be about 19 months removed from surgery when camp opens. He has spent the summer ramping up in pickup games, generating enough highlights to fuel hope that he can pair immediately with Cooper Flagg. League sources told ESPN that other teams are watching closely to see how, or if, the 34-year-old fits Dallas's long-term plans, since a healthy Irving, who has averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game as a Maverick, could become a trade target if new team president Masai Ujiri is open to moving him before the deadline.Damian LillardTeamPortland Trail Blazers2024-25 stats24.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.1 APG, 44.8 FG%InjuryTorn AchillesStatusReturning to Portland after three years awayLillard's return doubles as a homecoming, his first time back in Portland since he was traded three years ago. At 36 and coming off an Achilles tear, the questions are less about sentiment and more about fit: how much he has left physically, and how he slots into a Blazers team that made the playoffs last season on the strength of a defense-first identity built around Deni Avdija. Portland now has to integrate both Lillard and newly acquired guard Ja Morant into the backcourt, a project that will shape whether last year's playoff breakthrough was a floor or a ceiling for this roster.Tyrese HaliburtonTeamIndiana Pacers2024-25 stats18.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 9.2 APG, 47.3 FG%InjuryAchilles tearStatusChomping at the bit to return, per reportsIt has been 15 months since Haliburton last played, a stretch that ended when he exited Game 7 of the 2025 Finals with the injury. The Eastern Conference has shifted meaningfully since then. Haliburton led Indiana to back-to-back conference finals appearances and came within one game of a title, so the question now is whether his return alone reinserts the Pacers into that tier, or whether Indiana manages his workload early in hopes of peaking again by the postseason.Fred VanVleetTeamHouston Rockets2024-25 stats14.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 37.8 FG%InjuryTorn right ACL and a torn meniscusStatusFull-time, ramping upVanVleet told Andscape in July he was back on the court "full-time, ramping up, feeling good," and expects to be ready when Houston opens the preseason in Macao. His return restores offensive stability for a Rockets team that struggled to close out games last season once opponents keyed in on Kevin Durant. One byproduct of his absence was extra development time for young guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, experience the team hopes carries into this season. Assuming no setbacks, VanVleet projects as the primary setup man for Durant and Alperen Sengun.Trae YoungTeamWashington Wizards2025-26 stats17.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 45.8 FG%InjuryMCL and quadriceps injuries, right legStatusCleared for training campYoung played just five games after Atlanta traded him to Washington in January, and the Wizards were still in rebuilding mode when he arrived. He says the wait has only sharpened his motivation to play alongside Anthony Davis and top pick AJ Dybantsa. "I'm very motivated to be back in the conversation where I should be," Young told ESPN, pushing back on the idea that his value is tied only to scoring or assist totals. He turns 28 later this month and is fully cleared, giving Washington a healthy starting point as it tries to climb out of three straight 60-loss seasons.More NBA players expected to make a comeback soonSeveral other notable names are working back from injury without cracking the top tier of urgency, either because their timelines remain uncertain or their teams are further from contention. Jimmy Butler III, entering his 16th season and the final year of his contract with Golden State, is still rehabbing a right ACL tear; strength tests have shown progress, but a return before January or February looks unlikely given the Warriors' cautious medical approach under Rick Celebrini.Anthony Davis, cleared from a hand injury after playing only 20 games last season split between two teams, looks ready for camp and will pair with Young in Washington's backcourt.In Houston, Steven Adams is targeting a healthy start after ankle surgery limited him to 32 games, a return that matters given the Rockets' reliance on his offensive rebounding and interior defense behind Alperen Sengun.New Orleans point guard DeJounte Murray, who came back from a ruptured Achilles late last season and averaged 16.7 points and 6.4 assists in 14 games, is expected to be full go under new coach Jamahl Mosley.Walker Kessler joins the Lakers fully healed from shoulder surgery, telling reporters in Las Vegas, "sitting out a whole year definitely puts a lot of things in perspective," as he takes on a larger role next to Doncic.Jaren Jackson Jr. is set to anchor Utah's frontcourt after knee surgery limited him to three games following a midseason trade, and Jalen Williams returns to Oklahoma City hoping to shake recurring hamstring strains that undercut last season.Ja Morant begins a fresh chapter in Portland after an elbow injury ended his final Memphis season early, while Memphis center Zach Edey and Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis are both targeting healthy starts following ankle and meniscus procedures, respectively.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. 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