Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will miss at least four weeks, the team announced Friday.
Austin Reaves Reinjured Left Calf
Reaves suffered a mild left calf strain on Dec. 8 and returned to action on Dec. 23. He experienced soreness in his calf during the Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets, forcing him to leave at halftime of the 119-96 loss.
Fellow teammate Luka Doncic is all too familiar with calf strains.
“Just hoping. I just say, ‘If you need something to help with, I know how it is to go to a calf injury.’ It’s not fun at all,” Doncic recalled saying to Reaves, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike. “Just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2025
Doncic suffered a left calf strain last Christmas in his final game with the Dallas Mavericks.
Reaves scored 12 points on 5-for-8 (62.5%) shooting in 15 minutes in the first half versus Houston. Marcus Smart started the third quarter in his place.
The Lakers have 15 games between now and Jan. 26, when Reaves is expected to be reevaluated, including matchups with playoff contenders such as the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets.
He also missed three games in early November due to a right groin strain.
Reaves Makes The Lakers A Better Team
Reaves, 27, is having a breakout year in his fifth NBA season, averaging career highs of 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 35.3 minutes per game through 23 outings (22 starts).
The 6-foot-5 guard also has a shooting line of 50.7/36.5/87.3.
Per Spotrac, Reaves is currently in the third season of his four-year, $53.82 million contract. He’s expected to decline his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 and sign a new deal as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
His 2026-27 player option deadline is June 29. The Oklahoma product reportedly turned down a four-year, $89 million contract offer from L.A. during the offseason.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are on a three-game losing streak and have lost six of their past 10 games. All 10 of their losses this season have been by 10 or more points.
Head coach JJ Redick ripped his players following the Christmas Day loss against Houston.
