Why It Matters
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a critical personnel crisis as the NBA playoff push enters its final stretch. With the team set to face the Dallas Mavericks in Texas on Sunday, the loss of two of their most impactful players in back-to-back days threatens to derail any postseason momentum the franchise has built this season.
The Lakers have five regular-season games remaining before the playoffs begin, and their positioning in the standings — specifically a run at the three seed — now falls entirely on the rest of the roster.
What Happened
The Lakers announced that guard Austin Reaves sustained a left oblique muscle injury and will miss the remainder of the regular season. The injury was first reported by ESPN on Saturday, April 4, 2026, with the team subsequently confirming the news officially.
Reaves, 27, is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, meaning his absence will extend well into the postseason depending on when the Lakers’ playoff run begins and how deep it goes.
The timing compounds an already difficult situation for Los Angeles. Just one day prior, the team confirmed that star guard Luka Dončić — who had been a frontrunner for the NBA MVP award and scored 600 points in the month of March alone — would also miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a left hamstring strain.
Reaves played 27 minutes in the Lakers’ 139–96 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night before the injury was diagnosed.
By the Numbers
23.3 — Reaves’ scoring average this season, cementing his status as one of the team’s top offensive options.
5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds — Reaves’ additional per-game contributions, underscoring his value as a two-way presence beyond scoring.
51 — The number of games Reaves appeared in during the 2025–26 regular season before sustaining the injury.
4–6 weeks — The projected recovery window, which may sideline him for early playoff rounds.
5 — Regular-season games remaining for the Lakers before the postseason begins, with the final contest scheduled for April 12 against the Utah Jazz.
Zoom Out
The Lakers’ injury woes reflect a broader challenge facing multiple NBA contenders this season, as teams have dealt with high-profile absences heading into the postseason. Managing player health through an 82-game schedule remains one of the league’s most discussed structural issues, with ongoing pressure on the NBA to revisit eligibility rules, including the 65-game threshold required for players to qualify for individual awards.
For Los Angeles specifically, the back-to-back losses of Dončić and Reaves represent a significant shift in the team’s playoff ceiling. Head coach JJ Redick addressed the situation directly Saturday, telling reporters: “Our mission, it hasn’t changed. The rest of these guys and my staff, we’re going after the three seed, and we’re going to try to win a playoff series.”
Reaves, an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma and Wichita State who joined the team before the 2021–22 season, has developed into one of the league’s more reliable guards after earning consistent starting time in his third year with the franchise.
What’s Next
In the near term, the Lakers will look to their remaining roster to maintain seeding during the five-game regular-season stretch run. Their road game against the Dallas Mavericks in Texas on Sunday will be the first test of the depleted lineup.
On the contract front, Reaves has a player option for the 2026–27 season and will be eligible for a lucrative extension this offseason. Reports indicate he is likely to decline the option, setting up what could be a significant negotiation between Reaves and the Lakers front office in the coming months — assuming his recovery proceeds on schedule.
For NBA and sports business watchers, the situation in Los Angeles will be closely monitored as the league’s postseason — and its associated broadcast and revenue implications — approaches.