The Los Angeles Lakers finally got some positive news on the injury front.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that there remains no expectation that Luka Doncic will return in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, and he remains out indefinitely. Austin Reaves, however, has progressed further in his rehab and has an outside chance of returning late in the series.
“The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that’s further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes,” Charania said. “I am told Austin Reaves has started one-on-one on-court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through the progressions of three-on-three and five-on-five. Theoretically, that puts him on track late in this series or potentially early in the next series.”
Shams:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 21, 2026
"The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that's further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes. I am told Austin Reaves has started 1 on 1 on court work. The Lakers are not expecting Luka Doncic to be back in this series.… pic.twitter.com/Yx4hrt8An8
Reaves has been out since early April due to an oblique injury. The combination of that injury with Doncic’s has left the team very shorthanded, but an injury to Houston’s Kevin Durant helped them win Game 1 against the Rockets anyway.
It sounds like the Lakers might need a longer series to get Reaves back in the first round, but they have guaranteed themselves at least five games even if they can’t notch another win. That’s already better than some expected from them.
