Los Angeles — The Lakers announced Friday that guard Austin Reaves has suffered a mild strain in his left calf and will be re-evaluated in roughly one week.
The timing of the injury coincides with a relatively light stretch on the schedule. Los Angeles faces the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and then does not play again until Thursday. If medical staff clears him after the planned check-up, Reaves could miss as few as two games, though the club is expected to err on the side of caution to prevent the strain from lingering.
Reaves, 27, opened the 2025-26 campaign with heavy minutes while several teammates recovered from other injuries. Over the first 21 contests he averaged 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists, shooting 50.3 percent from the floor and 36.9 percent from beyond the arc. In the past two outings, however, he posted 13.0 points per game on 28.1 percent shooting and was seen favoring his leg during Wednesday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite Reaves’ absence, Los Angeles still has primary ball-handling options such as LeBron James available. The team enters the weekend at 17-7.
Speaking after the defeat in San Antonio, Reaves pointed to defense as a primary area for improvement, noting the Lakers rank near the bottom of the league in opponents’ three-point percentage and emphasizing the need for five-man coordination on that end of the floor.
The Lakers will provide another medical update on Reaves’ status next week.
Source: Lakers Nation
