Reeves is making his return today against the Suns! After missing 3 games due to a calf strain, he is now a contender for major awards this season.

On December 24th Beijing time, the Lakers announced in their newest injury update that guard Austin Reeves is now cleared to play and will make his comeback in today’s matchup with the Suns.

Reeves has not played since December 11th because of a left calf injury. Despite being sidelined for close to two weeks, the Lakers’ relaxed schedule in mid-December limited his absence to just 3 games. In those 3 games without him, the team posted a 2-1 record.

At 27 years old, Reeves is currently in the prime season of his career. He started all 21 games he played this season, averaging 36.9 minutes per game with 27.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.6 rebounds, shooting efficiently with splits of 50.3%/36.9%/87.5%.

When healthy, Reeves and Doncic form one of the league’s most potent backcourt duos—however, Doncic is currently injured with a left calf contusion and will definitely miss today’s game. Doncic leads the league with an average of 34.1 points per game this season.

Although Reeves has had two separate stints missing 3 games each this 2025-26 season, he is still very likely to meet the 65-game threshold required for award consideration. If he maintains his strong form from the first two months, he stands a solid chance to compete for significant honors, including the Most Improved Player award.

At the same time, Reeves’ performance will impact his next contract. He is almost certain to decline his $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season and sign a new deal as a fully unrestricted free agent next summer.