Over the last few days, the Los Angeles Lakers have suddenly become very short-handed. First, they lost Austin Reaves to a calf strain he suffered just over a week ago, and then starting center Deandre Ayton came down with elbow soreness and missed their last two games.
Then, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, they didn’t have starting forward Rui Hachimura, who is dealing with a groin ailment. To make matters worse, Luka Doncic sustained a leg contusion during that game and was ruled out for the second half. Without so many key players, the Lakers had a huge lack of offensive firepower and lost 103-88 to the Clippers.
Head coach JJ Redick said that he hopes Hachimura will be back after missing a total of only a few days.
JJ Redick says Rui Hachimura, out tonight with a sore groin, started to feel discomfort in his hip in the UTA game. Redick says “the hope” is Hachimura is only out for 3-5 days
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 21, 2025
He also added that Ayton and Reaves are improving, although he didn’t say whether either of them will play in the team’s next game on Tuesday versus the Phoenix Suns.
Redick added that Deandre Ayton (left elbow) and Austin Reaves (left calf) are both progressing and did not rule out either of them playing in PHX on Tuesday https://t.co/GeFicCsrlL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 21, 2025
The Lakers have a marquee matchup coming up on Christmas Day versus Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, who are 17-8 and right behind the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference. Five days later, the Purple and Gold will host the Detroit Pistons, who have the Eastern Conference’s best record at 22-6.
Needless to say, they will need to be somewhere close to full strength in order to defeat either team, let alone both of them.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick gives updates on Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton
