December 26, 2025
Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks,
Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSISReaves exited Thursday's loss to the Rockets with the calf injury, and the diagnosis confirmed the star guard will be sidelined for an extended period. The loss of Reaves means
Marcus Smart,
Dalton Knecht,
Nick Smith and potentially
Bronny James could be in line for more minutes in the Lakers' backcourt. Reaves is averaging a career-high 26.2 points per game, so his absence will be a huge blow for the Lakers, as they'll have to rely even more on
Luka Doncic and
LeBron James to carry the team offensively.