How long is Austin Reaves out? Calf injury timeline, return updates on Lakers star | Sporting News
The Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as they currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. However, Los Angeles is battling a variety of injuries, most notably with Austin Reaves.
The fourth-year guard, who has started 53 games this year, suffered an injured calf during a game against the Clippers last week. Reaves is currently third on the team in points and assists per game, making him, arguably, the team’s most valuable player after LeBron James and Luke Doncic.
With Los Angeles set to face a few fierce Eastern Conference teams coming up, here’s where Reaves’ injury status stands.
Austin Reaves injury update
Reaves has missed the last two games after suffering a calf injury against the Clippers last week. When the injury first occurred, the Lakers proceeded with caution.
“He was experiencing some tightness in the calf, some soreness,” JJ Redick said, via ESPN. “Was held out as a precaution.”
While an MRI revealed that there was no serious damage to the calf, Los Angeles has held Reaves out of games since suffering the injury. It is still unclear when Reaves will return, but based on the last update it shouldn’t be long before he is back on the court.
When will Austin Reaves return?
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was optimistic about Reaves’ prognosis over the weekend, but he wasn’t ready to give a timeline for his return.
“I felt like it was good news that there wasn’t anything structural or any muscle injury,” Redick said. “So we’ll manage him like we would any other player, and when he’s ready to go, he’ll be back.”
Reaves was listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Knicks. If he is able to play, he will give a boost to LA.’s backcourt.
Austin Reaves stats
| Year | Games | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
| 2021-22 | 61 | 23.2 | 7.3 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 45.9% |
| 2022-23 | 64 | 28.8 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 52.9% |
| 2023-24 | 82 | 32.1 | 15.9 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 48.6% |
| 2024-25 | 53 | 34.3 | 19.1 | 4.2 | 6.0 | 44.7% |
Reaves has become one of the most reliable players on the Lakers roster over the last four years, but he has taken his game up a notch this year. While starting 53 games and serving as the Lakers’ starting point guard, Reaves has set a career-high in points per game and assists per game.
While Los Angeles has been able to survive missing Reaves so far, the Lakers need Reaves healthy for their best shot at a championship. Therefore, they will not rush him back and risk him re-injuring that calf later in the season.
