The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a crushing blow after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as superstar Luka Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular season with a left hamstring strain. His status for the NBA playoffs is also uncertain.
If Los Angeles has any hope of staying afloat long enough for Doncic to return, it will be because of shooting guard Austin Reaves, who now must take over as the team’s primary scorer.
Reaves has already proved he is capable of handling an expanded workload. Through 51 games this year, the 27-year-old has averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc.
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However, the Lakers may be without Reaves on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles head coach JJ Redick spoke with reporters on Saturday after practice and announced that Reaves has undergone multiple MRI exams on his left side and rib area. It is unclear whether Reaves will be able to suit up (h/t Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
This is especially troubling for Los Angeles because if Reaves is out for more than just Sunday, or if the issue continues to linger, it would eliminate any realistic chance of the team making a deep postseason run without Doncic.
JJ Redick says Austin Reaves had multiple MRI exams on his left side/ribs in Dallas. His status for Sunday in Dallas is TBD, per the Lakers. Marcus Smart also remains TBD, per the team.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 4, 2026
It is unclear if this injury is the same one that forced Reaves back to the locker room during Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it is alarming regardless. Reaves is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and the Lakers cannot afford to lose him, meaning he will likely receive a significant pay raise from the organization.
Reaves is one of the Lakers’ best homegrown players, signing with the team as an undrafted free agent before developing into one of the most productive guards in the league over the past five years.
And with the Lakers’ season already hanging in the balance, Reaves’ health now becomes just as important as Doncic’s in determining whether Los Angeles has any chance of surviving the Western Conference.
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