Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) looks on Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Lakers Announce Austin Reaves News on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 4:46 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a phenomenal start to their 2025-26 NBA season. They are 5-2 through their first seven games, and have seen great success without superstar forward LeBron James, who has been out since the start of the season with a sciatica injury.

With James off the floor, other players have stepped up in a big way, including Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Like James, Dončić has also been dealing with an injury, which has limited him to playing in just four of the seven games so far.

In those four appearances, though, Dončić has been incredible, averaging 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists in those games. However, when the Lakers take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, Dončić will be out, as he will miss the game due to injury management on the second day of a back-to-back.

As for Reaves, he has also played very well this season. In seven games, the 27-year-old guard has averaged 31.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists in 37.9 minutes per game. This includes a 51-point performance against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 26.

Reaves played 38 minutes in the Lakers' 130-120 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday, scoring 26 points on 9-of-22 shooting from the floor.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves moves to the basket.© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Reaves was also listed on the Lakers' official NBA injury report ahead of Monday night's clash against the Trail Blazers. He was listed as out on the report due to right groin soreness, according to ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin.

"Full injury report: Austin Reaves is also out," McMenamin said.

Full injury report: Austin Reaves is also out. https://t.co/MXnX3tFKLc pic.twitter.com/DC7AZsMMrK
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 3, 2025

This will be the first game Reaves has missed so far this season, but, according to The Athletic's Dan Woike, the guard played through this groin injury against the Heat on Sunday night.

"Source tells me Reaves’ groin injury is something he played through last night," Woike said. Hope is that it’s nothing too serious"

With Reaves out, the head coach JJ Redick and Lakers will now be missing James, Dončić, Reaves and Gabe Vincent, another guard, for Monday's game against the Trail Blazers.

Tip-off between Los Angeles and Portland is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at Moda Center. The game can be seen on NBATV.

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

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