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The Los Angeles Lakers appeared to have taken another blow to their roster with just five games remaining before the playoffs kicked off.
The Lakers will be without Austin Reaves for the remainder of the regular season as the guard suffered a left oblique muscle injury, ESPN first reported Saturday. Reaves is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The team will play an away game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves confronts Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell during the first half of an NBA game in Oklahoma City on April 2, 2026. (Gérald Leong/AP)
The franchise then announced the injury.
Reaves has become one of the Lakers’ best players since joining Los Angeles ahead of the 2021-22 season. The former Oklahoma and Wichita State player joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent. He began earning starting time in his third season with the franchise.
The 27-year-old has played 51 games this year. He averages 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He played 27 minutes in the team’s 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
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Lakers guard Austin Reaves brings the ball up the court during the second half against the Washington Wizards in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
Reaves’ season-ending illness came a day after the team also lost Luka Doncic for the remainder of the regular season due to a left hamstring strain. Doncic was in the running for the NBA MVP award and scored 600 points in the month of March.
“Our mission hasn’t changed,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said earlier Saturday. “The rest of these guys and my team, we’re going for the third seed and we’re going to try to win a playoff series.”
Reaves will be eligible for a lucrative contract extension this offseason if he declines his player option for the 2026-27 season. Reports indicate that Reaves will likely decline this option.
The Lakers’ final game of the season will take place on April 12 against the Utah Jazz.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves confronts Washington Wizards guard Will Riley during the second half of an NBA game in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
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