Lakers Receive Injury Update on Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the final stretch of the regular season holding the third seed in the Western Conference, already managing injuries to key rotation players. With Dallas up next, the status of both Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart is now up in the air.

Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin posted the update on X:

"JJ Redick says Austin Reaves had multiple MRI on his left side/ribs in Dallas. His status for Sunday in Dallas is TBD, per the Lakers. Marcus Smart also remains TBD, per the team."

JJ Redick says Austin Reaves had multiple MRI on his left side/ribs in Dallas. His status for Sunday in Dallas is TBD, per the Lakers. Marcus Smart also remains TBD, per the team.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 4, 2026

Reaves picked up the injury against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, during the team's 139-96 loss.

He said he overextended going back for a rebound in the first quarter and felt something in his back. He was subbed out late in the quarter and headed to the locker room, but returned in the second quarter and finished with 15 points.

After the game, Reaves downplayed the concern. "I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit and felt something," he said. "I feel decent now. We'll see."

The imaging adds a question mark to what Reaves himself called a minor situation, and he is not the only one the Lakers are watching closely as they head to Dallas.

Marcus Smart Ankle Injury Status for Lakers vs Mavericks

Smart has been sidelined since March 21, when he hurt his right ankle after Goga Bitadze fell on him during a game against the Orlando Magic. The injury was initially listed as day-to-day, but he has now missed six straight games.

Before the Thunder game, Redick gave an encouraging update: Smart had taken part in an on-court workout and could potentially return for the Mavericks game. That would give him roughly a week of regular-season games before the playoffs tip off on April 18.

In 60 games this season, his first as a Laker, Smart is averaging 9.5 points, 1.4 steals and 2.8 assists per game. That defensive presence in the backcourt is exactly what the Lakers will need once the playoffs begin, which is why his health matters more than any return date on the regular season calendar.

The Lakers have already clinched a playoff spot, but the third seed is not yet locked up, with the Nuggets just one game behind. Still, with Luka already ruled out for the rest of the regular season, the bigger picture here is simple: getting Reaves and Smart healthy for April 18 matters far more than anything these final few games can offer.

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