Lakers Reveal Austin Reaves Decision After Injury Scare

Los Angeles will be shorthanded as the team tries to continue their win streak.

Nov 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) warms up before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers will try to win their eighth straight game and remain among the best teams in the Western Conference standings.

However, the team has been in danger of being shorthanded in this game against a division rival, with rising star Austin Reaves dealing with a heel injury that knocked him out of the Lakers’ last game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Austin Reaves Ruled Out Against the Suns

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the storied franchise will be without its second-best player on Sunday, with the team officially ruling out Reaves for this early game in Phoenix at the Mortgage Matchup Center.

Rookie Cameron Carr is also out due to an illness.

Austin Reaves and Cameron Carr ruled OUT for Sunday's game. Collin Sexton, Bronny and Adou Thiero are QUESTIONABLE pic.twitter.com/nWx59a7DE8

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 15, 2026

Although Reaves won’t be on the floor to take on Devin Booker and company, the Lakers will have superstar guard Luka Doncic ready to go, as he has been cleared to play.

Doncic tweaked his ankle in the win over the Bucks after a dangerous closeout by former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma.

Lakers Could Be Really Shorthanded

The Lakers also have three players who are currently listed as questionable, with Collin Sexton, Adou Thiero and Bronny James Jr. also potentially stuck watching from the sideline in street clothes on Sunday in Phoenix.

Fortunately, the Suns aren't exactly a juggernaut in the West right now, with Booker's squad coming into this matchup with a losing record of 5-6, having split the last 10 games (5-5).

Phoenix is riding a two-game winning streak, but it's safe to say the Lakers are much better all-around team right now and should make easy work of the Suns, even if they're really shorthanded.

Following Sunday's game, the Lakers will head back to Los Angeles for a four-game homestand, with Doncic and company set to host the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz (twice) and Sacramento Kings before Thanksgiving Day.

After the holiday, JJ Redick's squad will go back on the road for arguably their toughest matchup of the 2026-27 campaign, as they'll go head to head with Wembanyama and the red-hot Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.

The Spurs are the hottest team in the league right now, winning 11 straight games as of Saturday night, so the Lakers will definitely be put to the test in a potential Western Conference Finals preview.

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