Lakers Announce Deandre Ayton News on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 10:48 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are down three starters on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, with Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura all sitting out with respective injuries. Hachimura was the latest addition to the Lakers’ growing injury list with a groin injury, while Reaves and Ayton have both remained sidelined.

Reaves is dealing with a calf injury and will miss his third straight game on Saturday. Ayton, on the other hand, will sit out a second consecutive contest with an elbow problem.

According to head coach JJ Redick, however, it appears that Ayton, in particular, is close to returning.

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

Ayton was unable to suit up on Thursday as the Lakers took down the Utah Jazz, 143-135. The 7-foot center was a no-go due to a sore left elbow. Ayton was not able to recover in time for Saturday’s rivalry game against the Clippers, forcing him to miss a second straight contest.

Redick spoke to reporters ahead of Saturday’s matchup, and he shared some details about how Ayton sustained the elbow injury. The Lakers coach also announced that the former No. 1 overall pick had a good workout on Saturday.

"Yeah, we think he got a little tangled with Mark Williams in Phoenix and presented with some swelling on Monday and Tuesday," Redick said. "[He] got a core workout in today that was a pretty brisk, intense individual workout. So hoping to have him back soon."

JJ Redick provides injury updates ahead of tonight's matchup vs. Clippers. @LakersReporter pic.twitter.com/AtACMXGgiV
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 21, 2025

Redick was also asked about Reaves’ status, but the second-year Lakers coach wasn’t able to provide a substantial update on the 6-foot-5 shooting guard. "Yeah, he's continuing to push himself. Hope to have him back soon," Redick said of Reaves.

The good news for the Lakers here is that Ayton and Reaves have not been ruled out for their next game. At this point, there is still a chance that both starters will be back on the court on Tuesday against the Suns. Hachimura, on the other hand, is expected to remain out for the next three to five days, which coincides with a potential return on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers enter Saturday’s Clippers game with a 19-7 record and fourth in the Western Conference.

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

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