JJ Redick Gives Update on Marcus Smart Ahead of Lakers-Thunder

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 9:13 PM ET

Marcus Smart is one of the most important players for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. His defensive tenacity has worked well alongside the offensive firepower from the backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. However, Smart has missed the past seven games due to a right ankle contusion.

On Tuesday, the Lakers are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final time in the 2025-26 NBA season, and the team is still without Smart. The defensive guard has been ruled out of the contest and will miss his eighth-straight game.

Before tip-off, head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update on Smart's injury, giving hope to Lakers fans.

Marcus Smart Could Return This Week

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36).Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Redick told the media that Smart “is progressing well” in his injury recovery. Additionally, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year has had on-court work this week. He also told reporters that the defensive guard could play sometime this week, which will be the final three games of the season for LA.

The Lakers will play on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, immediately followed by the Phoenix Suns on Friday. They will cap off the regular season on Sunday against the Utah Jazz.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Lakers believed that Smart would recover from the injury sooner. However, the NBA guard needed more time to rehab his ankle so he could return at full strength. Redick also said that the veteran player did not experience any setback during his recovery period.

JJ Redick on Marcus Smart: “Trending towards playing at some point this week.” Redick said the team believed Smart would be back sooner. He said that Smart did not have a setback, but took more time with his rehab after initially starting to ramp up towards a return.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 8, 2026

The Lakers are dealing with a plethora of injuries outside of Smart. Doncic and Reaves are both out for the remainder of the campaign. The six-time All-Star was ruled out with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which led him to leave the Thunder game on Tuesday.

After the team's 139-96 defeat against OKC, they ruled out Reaves, who was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury. The two stars have been the No. 1 and No. 2 options, respectively, on offense this season. Losing them to injuries within hours was a significant blow to the roster.

Aside from the duo, the Lakers also ruled out LeBron James against the Thunder, who is out due to injury management. On Sunday, James was the lone superstar for the team and tried to lead LA past the Dallas Mavericks. However, his 30 points, nine rebounds and 15 assists were not enough, as they suffered a 134-128 loss.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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