Austin Reeves’ injury return comes during a trip to LA
The Los Angeles Lakers began an eight-game road trip on Tuesday beginning with a stop against the Denver Nuggets. The trip is an annual trip by the Grammy Team as the Cripto.com Arena and surrounding areas prepare for the Grammy Awards. The The Lakers are ready for a tough road tripand they are expected to get a little help in the form of Austin Reaves‘back from injury.
Before the Lakers’ game against the Nuggets, head coach JJ Reddick revealed that Austin Reaves is making good progress following a calf injury that sidelined him and that the team expects to return at some point during the trip, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said.
Reaves initially missed three straight games in early December with a calf injury before returning on Dec. 23 against the Phoenix Suns. However, he was benched after the first half of the Lakers’ Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets and has not played since.
The previously undrafted player went on to have a career season in which he made a a strong case to be named to his first All-Star selection. In 23 games, he averaged a career-high 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 50.7 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from the 3-point line, and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line.
As the Lakers dealt with injuries to LeBron James and Luka Doncic early in the season, Reaves elevated his game. He dropped a season-high 51 points in a win against the Sacramento Kings in the second week of the season, and then scored 41, albeit in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Then that week, he hit the game-winner on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Reaves has played his entire career with the Lakers so far, and is heading into a crucial offseason where he can opt out of his current contract and sign a more lucrative, long-term deal with the franchise.
2026-01-21 04:23:00
