Austin Reaves injury news: Insider reveals Lakers star's return date amid oblique muscle issue; ‘not looking good’

Only adding to the Los Angeles Lakers' woes, it was revealed on Saturday that Austin Reaves is set to sit out of the regular season

Published on: Apr 5, 2026, 03:06:02 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Only adding to the Los Angeles Lakers' woes, it was revealed on Saturday that Austin Reaves is set to sit out of the regular season with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury. This comes after LeBron James and co lost star guard Luka Doncic to injury too. ESPN reported that the Slovenian's postseason participation is doubtful.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) on the court in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Austin Reaves injury update

ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and is out for the remainder of the regular season.

Reaves came away from Thursday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with discomfort in his rib/oblique area. "I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit and I felt something," he said after the defeat.

Austin Reaves return timeline

Charania further revealed Reaves' expected return timeline. “Lakers' Austin Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks with the Grade 2 oblique injury, sources tell ESPN. Devastating run of injuries to L.A.'s two leading scorers. Reaves and Luka Doncic are expected to be sidelined to begin the NBA playoffs,” he wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Reaves, 27, has averaged a career-best 23.3 points with 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 51 games (45 starts). He missed 19 consecutive games earlier this season with a calf injury.

In five seasons, all with the Lakers, Reaves has averaged 15.8 points with 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 331 games (216 starts).

Luka Doncic injury update

Meanwhile, Doncic will miss the remainder of the NBA regular season with a left hamstring strain, the team said Friday. He ‘has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out for the remainder of the regular season’, the Lakers, who have five games left in the regular season, said in a statement.

Doncic's injury is a massive blow to the Lakers, who have clinched a playoff berth but at third in the Western Conference are just one game ahead of the fourth-placed Denver Nuggets.

Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game and is also averaging 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds. Doncic was just named Western Conference Player of the Month for March when he averaged 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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