Lakers Receive Major Boost After NBA All-Star Break

The Los Angeles Lakers will get back to work on Friday, hosting Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. It’ll be the first game for the Lakers coming out of the NBA All-Star break and the second game of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, as they’ll face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

The primary concern for the Lakers after the All-Star break was the status of superstar guard Luka Doncic, who has been nursing a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for four straight games before All-Star Weekend.

Lakers Get Clean Injury Report After All-Star Break

Luka Doncic Los Angeles Lakers — Feb 3, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) gestures after scoring in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Lakers announced that they have a clean injury report, with Doncic set to play on Friday against the Clippers.

Not sure I've ever seen a Lakers' injury report like this, at least not this season: CLEAN! pic.twitter.com/hDvHlV62Mh
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 20, 2026

Along with Doncic returning to the floor on Friday, rising star Austin Reaves will no longer be playing on a minutes restriction, according to Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

“Austin won't have a minute's restriction,” Redick said after Thursday’s practice. “It looks like we'll have everybody available tomorrow.”

Lakers’ Front Office Shake Up Begins

Lon Rosen Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Dodgers — May 9, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers executive vice president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen reacts during a MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Along with a clean injury report heading into Friday’s game, the Lakers have started to make the drastic shift in the front office, with Tim Harris stepping down and the team bringing in Lon Rosen as the new president of business operations.

Rosen expressed his gratitude for the opportunity with the Lakers, which the team included in the press release sent out on Thursday.

"I'm beyond grateful to Jeanie and Mark [Walter] for trusting me with this incredible opportunity," said Rosen. "As everyone knows, the economics of the sports business are constantly changing - and they will continue to do so.

"But, at root, my job is a simple one: figuring out how to do right by our employees and our partners while ensuring that the Lakers continue to provide an unparalleled experience for our fans in Los Angeles and around the world. I look forward to working alongside Jeanie, Rob [Pelinka] and the whole front-office team to make that happen."

Rosen’s hiring is likely only the beginning of changes to model the front office after the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom the new president of business operations has worked since Mark Walter took over as the Dodgers' owner in 2012.

It’ll be an interesting few months for the Lakers franchise, as they finish out the 2025-26 NBA season and head into a potentially game-changing summer.