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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts after sinking a three point shot in the Lakers 119-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Reeves 35 points are the most off the bench this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers made one deal at the NBA trade deadline, and while signs point to them shifting their focus to the offseason, it also shows they are relatively happy with what they have now, specifically as it relates to Austin Reaves.
Reaves missed more than a month after suffering a calf injury on Christmas. But in just two games since his return, he has gotten back to his near All-Star caliber level. After scoring 35 points in just 25 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers on the day of the trade deadline, the shooting guard has joined elite company with his stats.
Reaves is now one of just three players to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists on at least 50% shooting this season, besides Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, per Statmuse.
In 2025-26 Austin Reaves is
scoring 25.0+ points per game
grabbing 5.0+ rebounds per game
dishing out 5.0+ assists per game
making 2.5+ threes per game
shooting 50.0% from field
Only 3 others in NBA history have done that in a season: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant & LeBron James.
He is also on pace to become one of only a few players ever to average those numbers, along with at least 2.5 three-pointers made per game for a full year, as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and his teammate, LeBron James, have also accomplished that feat, according to OptaSTATS.
On the season, Reaves is putting up 26.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists on 51.1% shooting in 25 games. As mentioned, he did miss a big stretch, but the fact that he’s gotten back to his early-season form is a good sign for the Lakers heading into perhaps the most important part of the regular season.
JJ Redick, Lakers Players On Austin Reaves’ Injury Return
While it was just his second game back, Reaves has continued to come off the bench in what was supposed to be a limited role as he works back from his injury. However, after Luka Doncic went down with a concerning injury of his own (more on that in a minute), the 27-year-old proved why he is set for a near-max contract extension this summer from Los Angeles.
“It’s remarkable what he was able to do tonight in his second game back,” Redick told reporters after Reaves helped the Lakers to a four-point win over the Sixers.
Austin Reaves is making up for lost time. He is unconscious. He’s hit two 3s to start the 4th and is up to 28 pts on 11-for-13, with another two free throws coming. Crypto going crazy.
While Redick had previously said that he doesn’t expect Reaves to continue to come off the bench much longer, he added that the team is taking a cautious approach with his recovery. While the team already has a lack of depth, having a player of his caliber as the season goes on will be key in making a playoff push, especially as he works back from perhaps the most significant injury of his career.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart added that he wasn’t surprised that Reaves had a standout performance in only his second game back.
“No, I don’t think these performances surprise anyone, and they shouldn’t,” Smart said. “AR has made a name for himself and he is a big part of his team and we missed him, and I think it shows. To come in the way he did and assert himself was something we needed, especially with Luka going down. We’re definitely not surprised, and like I said, anybody in this league that is surprised about AR and his ability, it’s a shame.”
The Lakers went 10-9 when Reaves was out with his latest injury since Christmas. With him in the lineup this year, they are 17-8. It was only the tenth game all season they’ve played with him, Doncic, and James, and that number could stay that way until an update on Doncic is given.
Luka Doncic Injury Update
While Doncic has been the unequivocal star for Los Angeles this season, he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half against Philadelphia. He was initially ruled out for ‘left leg soreness,‘ but after the game, Redick said he’ll have an MRI to understand the full extent of the injury.
“Yeah, he felt some soreness in his hamstring, so he didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in,” Redick said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Neither did [our] medical [staff], so we held him out. And he’ll get some imaging. I mean, too early to say if there’s an injury, but just had a sore hamstring.”
In just 16 minutes, Doncic had put up ten points, four rebounds, two assists, and five turnovers before exiting the contest.
“Hopefully nothing major,” Reaves added on Doncic’s injury. “We need him. He’s our best player and the engine in a lot of the stuff we do. Hopefully we get good news tomorrow, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
NBA insider Brian Windhorst added that if considered serious, the Lakers could hold Doncic out past the All-Star break. It would be a blow to the roster and their upcoming schedule, but considering they don’t play on the road for the next few weeks amid the All-Star break, that could be a good sign.
“It really comes down to, is this a mild strain, a first-degree?” Windhorst said. “If that’s the case, the All-Star break comes next week, and he could be back without missing too many games. If it’s a more serious Grade 2, now you’ve got a bigger problem.”
In what is good news, the Lakers made a trade deadline deal to add Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks. They sent out Gabe Vincent, which could be tough for their playmaking and perimeter defense, but now have one of the most accurate three-point shooters in NBA history.
Additionally, Reaves will likely take on a bigger role until, or when, Doncic returns, but his strong play since coming back from his own injury is a positive for this Lakers team.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski