Austin Reaves has missed the Los Angeles Lakers' past 13 games, including their clash against the Denver Nuggets on the road on Tuesday night. During his absence due to a calf injury, the Lakers have gone just 6-6, and they're currently down by double figures against a Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets squad. To say that Reaves' absence has been a major part of why Los Angeles has been playing such uneven basketball as of late would be an understatement.
Reaves will reportedly be returning to the Lakers lineup during their eight-game road trip, and that should help LA gain some breathing room in the Western Conference standings with the Phoenix Suns breathing down their necks. And Luka Doncic, who's had an animated friendship filled with banter with his backcourt mate, even admitted to missing him a bit amid his absence.
“Of course, I [miss him]. He's an amazing player. He helps us in so many ways. Playing with him, it's fun,” Doncic told Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell.
Doncic is certainly looking forward to having Reaves back out on the court, acknowledging how his return would help the Lakers a ton.
“He's gonna be good for us especially when we have an eight-game road trip,” Doncic added.
"It's pretty awesome… that's a big achievement for me, so it's incredible to lead this."
Luka Dončić speaks with @LakersReporter about leading the NBA in All-Star voting before tonight's matchup with the Nuggets. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/m3fefS8nrr
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026
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Injury woes derail Lakers star Austin Reaves' All-Star campaign
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Reaves has blossomed so much from his time as a spark plug off the bench; he has shown that he's capable of leading a team as the primary ballhandler, and he's become one of the best scorers in the association. There is nothing flukey about the 26.6 points per game that he averages.
The Lakers' offense with Reaves was elite that it helped cover a lot for their deficiencies on defense, and he had been forging such a solid connection with Deandre Ayton on the court, with Ayton perhaps being the man who's missing Reaves the most.