Austin Reaves has been cleared, coming off a day-to-day designation on the Lakers' injury report. He is available for the season opener Thursday night against the Kings.
What happened
Reaves was cleared on the injury report Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:16 p.m. ET, moving off the day-to-day tag he had carried into the day. The guard first appeared on the report Monday, Oct. 5 as day-to-day with an ankle issue, then stayed day-to-day through Thursday before the update to cleared. No further detail or comment was attached to the clearance. The team has not announced any additional step in his status beyond the clearance.
What it means for the Lakers
The Lakers open the season Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET against the Kings on ESPN2, and Reaves is available for it. Last season he averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 34.5 minutes across 51 games. With him back, the Lakers are not forced to lean on the extra minutes other rotation players logged without him, including Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Luke Kennard and Gabe Vincent. The team is 0-0, since the 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Reaves' clearance holds through the opener and into the games that follow. No expected return date applies since he has already been cleared, and no further timeline has been announced. Several other Lakers remain day-to-day, including Dalton Knecht, Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton, Arthur Kaluma and Walker Kessler, so the next report will also be watched for any changes to that group.
Is Austin Reaves playing vs Kings?
Yes. He was cleared on the injury report Thursday, Oct. 8, after being day-to-day, and is available for the opener against the Kings.
When will Austin Reaves be back?
He is already back. He was cleared Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:16 p.m. ET, and no further absence has been announced.