This season, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone through multiple stretches where at least one of Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves has been out.
This has made the 2025-26 season quite frustrating for the Lakers. Reaves recently returned after being out for a significant stretch, but it appears he’ll be sidelined again.
Why Will Austin Reaves Be Sidelined Again?
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Reaves will miss the Lakers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday because of left calf injury management.
It gets worse for the Lakers, too, as James, Dončić, and Marcus Smart will also miss the game because of injuries.
Lakers injury report for tonight: LAL will be very undermanned versus the Spurs pic.twitter.com/lgY4P8xpKV
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 10, 2026
Reaves has been dealing with a calf injury since Christmas, as he missed 10 games while recovering from it. He returned to the Lakers on Feb. 3 and has looked like the same Reaves who was making a strong case to be selected as an All-Star reserve before getting injured.
Obviously, the Lakers would prefer for Reaves to play, but calf injuries have proven problematic if left untreated over the last several years. The Lakers are being cautious with Reaves because they are significantly better when he’s available. Also, they don’t want him to suffer a career-altering torn Achilles, which has happened when a player tried playing through a calf injury.
Reaves has been playing his best basketball this season, which bodes well for the Lakers’ future when James departs, whenever that is. Reaves is averaging 26.1 points, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 3s, and 1.0 steals while shooting 51.1% from the field, 36.8% from 3, and 86.9% from the free-throw line.
The Lakers are clearly focusing on the big picture, but it’s just a shame that this has to happen during such a pivotal matchup. The Spurs are 36-16 in the West right now, which puts them as the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Lakers are 32-20, which puts them at No. 6 in the conference. Don’t let the difference in seeds fool you; Los Angeles is just four games back.
Missing their three best players will be trouble for the Lakers. Tonight would be a solid opportunity for JJ Redick to prove to the league that he can coach when badly undermanned in a matchup against one of the NBA’s powerhouses.
The arrival of Luke Kennard should certainly help Redick. The former Atlanta Hawks star is one of the best shooters in the league and currently leads the league in 3P%. That should surely be enough firepower for the Lakers to manage without their three stars. Kennard can make his own shot, provided the supporting cast aids him on the floor as well.
The one upside to all of this is that the All-Star break is coming up, meaning Reaves will have more time to recover. Hopefully, by the time the season resumes afterward, he’ll have a clean bill of health. If and when he does, the Lakers should be a formidable foe for anyone in the West.