Lakers' Austin Reaves Returns After 19-Game Absence

After missing the last 19 games due to a calf strain injury suffered in the Christmas Day showdown with the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 25, rising star Austin Reaves will return to the lineup for heda coach JJ Redick on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

Lakers make it official that Austin Reaves will return tonight vs. Nets. He hasn't played since Christmas Day.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 3, 2026

Redick won't be rushing Reaves to get back to form right away after such a long absence, as the veteran guard will come off the bench in Brooklyn, which is likely the smart move, especially from an injury that can lead to something much more severe if not handled correctly.

Tonight's starters for Lakers @ Nets -- Austin Reaves will come off the bench pic.twitter.com/6BOpFkil7x
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 4, 2026

Tuesday's game against the Nets will be the last of a long eight-game road trip for the Lakers, with the storied franchise set to head home for matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, which is also the day of the NBA trade deadline. The Lakers' roster could look a little different that day with the rumor still swirling about what general manager Rob Pelinka and the team's front office intends to do.

As for Reaves, the 27-year-old was having the best season of his NBA career before going down with the injury against the Rockets in late December. He and superstar Luka Doncic formed one of the most dynamic duos in the league, with both players being offensive juggernauts.

Doncic is currently leading the league in scoring heading into Tuesday's game aggainst the Nets, averaging an impressive 33.6 points per game, which has thrust him into the NBA MVP conversation along with fellow superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

Reaves is averaging career-high numbers in points (26.6), rebounds (5.2) and assists (6.3) per game during the 2025-26 campaign, as he's figured out a way to take his game to another level while playing alongside Doncic, which is something that no one saw coming. He's also shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The return of Reaves should give the Lakers a significant boost off the bench while taking the scoring load off Doncic and LeBron James. Redick admits the team has missed him "every facet" during this stretch, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

"I think we've missed him in every facet," Redick said. "Both as an on-ball player, off-ball player, a connector, leadership on the court, competitive spirit -- competitive spirit defensively. So, he's an All-Star-level player, and of course, you're going to miss him in a number of ways."

It remains to be seen how many minutes Reaves will play off the bench, as he'll likely be on a restrcition from that standpoint.