Lakers’ Austin Reaves sidelined at least 4 weeks due to left calf strain
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Dave McMenaminDec 26, 2025, 09:05 PM ET
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
LOS ANGELES — Lakers guard Austin Reaves underwent an MRI on his left calf muscle Friday which revealed a grade 2 gastrocnemius strain, the team announced.
The injury will sideline Reaves, 27, for approximately four weeks before he is re-evaluated, the team said.
A gastrocnemius strain, commonly referred to as a pulled calf muscle, is caused by tears in the fibers of the main calf muscle which can occur during any number of basketball activities from running and jumping to cutting quickly to change directions on the court.
Reaves recently missed three games with a mild calf strain in his left leg — a separate injury from the one he sustained Christmas Day in the first half of L.A.’s 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN.
He had returned from the injury Tuesday and scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench against the Phoenix Suns.
He started against Houston, though Redick had said Reaves would remain on a minutes restriction.
Reaves scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in 15 minutes in the first half against the Rockets. Marcus Smart started the third quarter in Reaves’ place.
The injury comes at an inopportune time for both Reaves personally and the Lakers as a whole.
The fifth-year veteran had been enjoying a career season, averaging personal bests in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) per game, making him a real candidate to be named to his first All-Star Game.
L.A., meanwhile, has lost three straight games and six of its last 10, causing Lakers coach JJ Redick to lambaste his team’s effort following the loss to Houston on Thursday.
At 19-10, the Lakers currently have the No. 4 record in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers have 15 games on the schedule between now and Jan. 26 – the projected period of time Reaves could miss – including matchups with some of the NBA’s top teams in the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.
