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The NBA’s 65-game rule claims another breakout season, this time, Austin Reaves.
The NBA’s 65-game minimum continues to reshape award races across the league. This week, it officially claimed one of the season’s most unexpected stars. Because of a lingering left calf injury, Austin Reaves has fallen below the league’s games-played threshold.
As a result, he is ineligible for All-NBA honors or any postseason awards in 2025–26. The outcome is procedural, not performance-based, and it removes Reaves from contention despite a statistical leap that placed him firmly in elite territory before Christmas.
Reaves has been sidelined since Christmas Day after re-aggravating the calf strain. That injury had already caused him to miss three earlier games. Since then, his awards candidacy has quietly ended, long before the season itself has.
An All-NBA-Level Leap Cut Short
Before the injury, Reaves was producing at a level few expected, even within the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Through his appearances this season, the 27-year-old is averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field.
The efficiency jump stands out. Reaves’ 59 percent effective field-goal percentage ranks as the second-best mark of his career. His scoring surge also came without sacrificing playmaking responsibility. While his 36.5 percent shooting from three sits slightly below his career average, his overall shot profile reflects a player in control of his offensive growth.
That production mattered early. With injuries sidelining LeBron James and Luka Doncic to start the year, Reaves became the Lakers’ stabilizer. He scored 51 points in a win over Sacramento. Days later, he followed it with a game-winning shot against Minnesota. Those moments defined the first phase of his season.
None of it, however, will factor into awards voting.
Reaves is far from the only player affected. The 65-game requirement has drawn renewed scrutiny this season as injuries threaten the eligibility of stars like Nikola Jokic and James. The league will not alter the rule midseason, but insiders increasingly expect it to be revisited this summer.
For Reaves, the timing was unforgiving. His best stretch of basketball overlapped with an injury window that left no margin for error.
The Lakers remain optimistic about his return, even if awards are no longer part of the conversation. Head coach JJ Redick recently said the team expects Reaves to rejoin the lineup during its current road trip.
Why the Lakers Refuse to Move Him
Reaves’ rise has only strengthened the Lakers’ internal resolve to keep him. NBA analyst Jason McIntyre revealed on The Herd how aggressively teams have pursued the guard.
“There are reports out there that the Lakers have turned down, wait for it, 20 offers in the last year for Austin Reaves,” McIntyre said. “The report goes on to say Pelinka is only interested in dealing Reaves in a package for Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or [Nikola] Jokic. I mean, I did laugh when I first heard that.”
That stance reflects general manager Rob Pelinka’s valuation of Reaves as more than a breakout scorer. The Lakers’ willingness to move him only for Antetokounmpo or Jokic places him firmly in franchise-piece territory.
Speculation elsewhere, including a suggested deal involving Memphis Grizzlies star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., triggered swift backlash. Rich Paul later walked back the idea, and the Lakers’ position has not changed.
Reaves may not collect hardware this season, but his standing inside the organization is clear. The rulebook ended his awards chase. His rise, however, is no longer up for debate.