Lakers Announce Unfortunate Austin Reaves News on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Apr 26, 2026 8:57 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves has been inching closer to his highly anticipated return to action.

The 6-foot-5 guard has been sidelined throughout their first-round NBA playoffs series against the Houston Rockets. In fact, the last time Reaves saw action for the Lakers was on April 2 in a regular-season matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reaves injured his oblique in that game and was later diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain. He missed the last five games of the regular season as well as L.A.’s first three playoff contests against Houston.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Reaves, however, has been making significant progress in his road to recovery. The 27-year-old was upgraded to questionable for Game 3, but was ultimately ruled out before tipoff.

Reaves entered Sunday’s game with the questionable tag again. He tested out his oblique before the game to try to see if he could suit up and take the court.

Unfortunately, Reaves still isn’t ready to go. Despite his efforts to return, the Lakers ultimately ruled him out right before tipoff.

The Lakers enter Sunday’s contest with a commanding 3-0 series lead. Another win will see them progress to the next round.

It’s possible that their decision on Reaves’ final status was influenced by the fact that they are in the driver’s seat in this series.

Right now, there would be no point in rushing Reaves back until he is healthy. The last thing the Lakers want is for him to aggravate the injury if he returns too soon.

L.A. will face either the Thunder or the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals. OKC defeated Houston on Saturday, 121-109, to go up 3-0 in the series.

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

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