Lakers' Rui Hachimura Ruled Out Against Suns

After the NBA All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign with a clean slate in terms of injuries, which is something that hadn’t been seen all season long.

Unfortunately, that clean injury report didn’t last very long, with veteran forward Rui Hachimura now on the mend, as he has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns on the road at the Mortage Matchup Center.

Rui Hachimura Ruled Out With Illness

Rui Hachimura (illness) has been downgraded to OUT for tonight’s game at Phoenix.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 26, 2026

Hachimura has played in all but 10 games this season, as he’s been one of the more dependable role players on the squad in terms of availability. He’s also seen his role change with the team going from a starter to head coach JJ Redick’s first option off the bench.

The 28-year-old forward has done well in his bench role, putting up close to the same numbers as a reserve compared to being a starter, while playing around six minutes less per game at 24.2.

Lakers Likely to Lean on Jake LaRavia

Jake LaRavia Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns — Oct 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA preseason game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With Hachimura dealing with an illness that will keep him sidelined for Thursday’s game against the division rival Suns, Redick and his coaching staff will likely lean on forward Jake LaRavia to pick up the slack, as he could see a bump in minutes in Phoenix.

One thing the Lakers will really miss against the Suns without Hachimura is his outside shooting. The veteran forward has been the Lakers’ best three-point shooter this season, even with Luke Kennard (43.8%) coming into the fold. Hachimura is shooting an impressive 44 percent from deep, just below his career-best 44.7.

LaRavia, however, is far less consistent from beyond the arc, shooting 33 percent from three-point range this season, which is among the worst on the team.

The Wake Forest product is currently averaging 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists to along with a career-high 1.3 steals and 26.4 minutes per game during his first season with the Lakers.

The Lakers will be looking to bounce back with a vengeance on Thursday after a disappointing loss to the Orlando Magic earlier this week, which ended with the last possession involving superstar Luka Doncic and LeBron James falling apart.

Thursday’s game against the Suns will be the first of a two-game road trip, with the team traveling to the Bay Area after the matchup in Phoenix to take on the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at the Chase Center.