Lakers Announce Deandre Ayton News Amid Austin Reaves Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 17, 2025 10:23 PM ET

Deandre Ayton had one of his best games as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Lakers secured a 116-114 win over the Phoenix Suns despite missing the services of the injured Austin Reaves. Ayton went off for 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 13 rebounds, two steals and a block in 30 minutes of action. The 7-foot center played a pivotal role for L.A. as they got back in the win column following their disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs in their previous game.

Ayton, however, has popped up on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s contest against the Utah Jazz. The 27-year-old big man is dealing with an elbow issue that will sideline him for at least one game.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during an NBA game. © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Ayton is in his first season with the Lakers. He signed a two-year, $16.2 million deal with the team during the offseason and has since been a key piece as L.A.’s starting center. In 23 games played this season, Ayton has produced averages of 15.3 points on 71.0% shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 29.4 minutes per contest.

The bad news for Ayton is that he is now nursing an elbow injury. The Lakers announced on Wednesday night that Ayton has been ruled out of the Jazz game due to a sore left elbow.

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— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) December 18, 2025

The Lakers did not provide the details of Ayton’s injury. The severity of the issue also remains unclear at this point. In the meantime, Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt will likely see more minutes with Ayton on the shelf.

Ayton will join Reaves on the sidelines for Thursday’s game. Reaves is set to miss his second straight contest due to a Grade 1 left calf strain, which is expected to keep him out for at least one week.

The Lakers enter Thursday’s contest with an 18-7 record. They will be on the road in Utah, with tip-off from Delta Center scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET.

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

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