Lakers vs. Pistons: Final Injury Report on Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura & Maxi Kleber

The Los Angeles Lakers will head into Monday’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena with high hopes of getting their 10th straight win, but they will have to try to accomplish that feat without some key role players.

The team announced on Monday morning that veteran guard Marcus Smart and forward Rui Hachimura have been ruled out for this game in Detroit.

Marcus Smart & Rui Hachimura Ruled Out vs. Pistons

Smart is currently dealing with right ankle soreness, while Hachimura popped up on the report with right calf soreness.

Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) has been upgraded to AVAILABLE for tonight’s game at Detroit.

Rui Hachimura (right calf soreness) and Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) have been downgraded to OUT.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 23, 2026

Even though the Lakers will be without Smart and Hachimura on Monday, which could prove costly given their impact this season, Maxi Kleber has been cleared to play after missing the last seven games due to a lumbar strain. The veteran big man hasn’t played since the Lakers’ win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 8.

The Lakers have been able to stay relatively healthy during the final stretch of the regular season while also being able to play at a high level regardless of the competition. Los Angeles seems to be coming together at the right time, with the team holding onto third place in the Western Conference standings while also seeing superstar Luka Doncic makes a legitimate case for NBA MVP.

After Monday's game in Detroit, the Lakers will have one more game on their road trip, facing the struggling Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday before heading back to Los Angeles for a three-game homestand, which includes matchups against the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers will only have 10 games left on their regular season schedule once the return home, with a few of those matchups being crucial in terms of competing against some of the better teams in West. The two games that will likely be the most telling in terms of whether this team can truly compete with the best in the conference, will be two matchups against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on April 2 at Paycom Center and at Crypto.com Arena on April 7.

It'll be interesting to see how things pan out for the Lakers moving forward, especially if injuries to key players start to become a problem down the stretch.

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