![\"Austin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2243515438_9216a0-e1761824902895.jpg\")
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Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after the Lakers made a basket against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on October 26, 2025 in Sacramento, California. Reaves finished with a career high 51 points. <\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> may finally be turning a corner as Austin Reaves<\/a>\u2019 return draws closer during their grueling eight-game \u201cGrammy\u201d road trip \u2014 a development that could stabilize a team searching for traction in the early days of the Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> era.<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday\u2019s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, head coach JJ Redick<\/a> revealed that Reaves is nearing clearance and could rejoin the lineup as early as the midpoint of the trip.<\/p>\n JJ Redick Hints at Reaves\u2019 Return Timeline<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin, Redick suggested Reaves could be back as soon as the Lakers\u2019 stop in Cleveland.<\/p>\n \u201cJJ Redick says until Austin Reaves is back, which could occur as soon as Cleveland, the Lakers are going to stay with its starting lineup of LeBron James<\/a>, Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Deandre Ayton<\/a>, Jake LaRavia<\/a> and Marcus Smart<\/a>,\u201d McMenamin reported<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell added that Reaves has continued to check all the boxes in his rehab progression.<\/p>\n \u201cJJ Redick said Austin Reaves responded well to a stay-ready game (typically against the team\u2019s coaching staff) and that they hope to get him one more full-court run tomorrow,\u201d Trudell wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lakers Have Missed Reaves\u2019 Edge \u2014 and Redick Didn\u2019t Mince Words<\/p>\n Reaves has been sidelined since Christmas Day, when he suffered a left calf strain against the Houston Rockets<\/a>. While his absence hasn\u2019t derailed the season entirely, it has exposed gaps in the Lakers\u2019 offensive rhythm and physicality.<\/p>\n Redick described Reaves\u2019 impact in vivid terms, underscoring what the Lakers have lacked without him.<\/p>\n \u201cIn describing part of what the Lakers have missed with Austin Reaves out, JJ Redick described the \u2018violence\u2019 that he plays with,\u201d Trudell reported<\/a>. \u201cReaves attacks defenses with a combination of IQ, angles and force \u2014 first with a knife, then with a sledgehammer.\u201d<\/p>\n Breakout Season on Pause \u2014 but Not Forgotten<\/p>\n Before the injury, Reaves was in the midst of the best stretch of his career. Through 23 games, the 27-year-old guard averaged career highs across the board: 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and one steal per game, while shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.5% from three.<\/p>\n Los Angeles has gone 11\u20139 without Reaves, but the timing of his return could be pivotal. The Lakers entered Saturday having won just three of their last 10 games, struggling to maintain consistency as lineups shuffled and roles shifted.<\/p>\n Grammy Trip Sets Stage for Reaves\u2019 Comeback<\/p>\n After facing Dallas, the Lakers continue their road swing Monday in Chicago before a potential Reaves return Wednesday in Cleveland. From there, they travel to Washington to face the Wizards<\/a>, followed by a marquee showdown with the New York Knicks<\/a> on Feb. 1, before closing the trip against the Brooklyn Nets<\/a> on Feb. 3.<\/p>\n A healthy Reaves would immediately slot back into a central role \u2014 both on the floor and in the franchise\u2019s broader calculus.<\/p>\n Contract Stakes Add Weight to Reaves\u2019 Return<\/p>\n Reaves declined a four-year, $89.2 million extension last offseason, betting on himself ahead of free agency. If he opts out of his $14.9 million player option for 2026\u201327, he would become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.<\/p>\n League expectations for his next deal are rising rapidly. Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has projected a contract north of four years, $120 million<\/a>, while The Athletic\u2019s Dan Woike has suggested Reaves could command north of $40 million annually<\/a> on the open market.<\/p>\n Bigger Picture: Reaves, Luka, and the Lakers\u2019 Long Game<\/p>\n Reaves\u2019 return also intersects with the Lakers\u2019 long-term ambitions. With Don\u010di\u0107 now positioned as the franchise centerpiece, Los Angeles is carefully balancing short-term competitiveness with long-range flexibility.<\/p>\n That backdrop has only intensified as NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported growing league belief that Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>\u2019s future in Milwaukee is uncertain, with many executives expecting any major move to come around the NBA<\/a> Draft.<\/p>\n Because of asset constraints, the Lakers are effectively blocked from a credible in-season push. But as Fischer noted, patience could open doors later.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Bucks<\/a> hold off until the offseason,\u201d Fischer wrote<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0The Stein Line, \u201cteams such as Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers would have access to more tradeable future first-round picks than those teams can put on the table between now and the Feb. 5 trade buzzer.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, the focus is simpler \u2014 and urgent.<\/p>\n Getting Reaves back may be the most important move the Lakers make all season.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after the Lakers made a basket against the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436060,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-436059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}