Getty
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stands on the court during a timeout during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t seem to catch a break on the injury front. Amid Austin Reaves‘ grade 2 calf strain — which will keep the team’s second-leading scorer out for a month — the Lakers have lost another starter, Rui Hachimura.
Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Hachimura has been diagnosed with right calf soreness, ruling him out for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.
The Lakers will also continue to be without Gabe Vincent, who has been out of action since Dec. 14 with a back strain. The one piece of good news for Los Angeles is that Jaxson Hayes, who has been out for a week with an ankle sprain, is no longer listed on the Lakers’ injury report.
Lakers Injury Report vs. Pistons
With Hachimura ruled out, Lakers head coach JJ Redick is likely to start Jake LaRavia, who has averaged 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in nine games as a starter this season. While LaRavia hasn’t provided the Lakers with the sharpshooting that he was expected to when they signed him as a free agent, he has been a steady presence on the wings, showing the ability to guard both threes and fours. LaRavia has averaged 0.9 threes a game at a clip of 31%, but there have been nights when he has exploded offensively.
The Lakers have been one of the worst injury-hit teams this season, with Redick being forced to use 16 different starting combinations through 30 games thus far. The loss of Reaves was especially heartbreaking to Redick, a big supporter of the undrafted guard.
“I think the biggest thing right now, at least when I talked to him yesterday, is that I’m bummed for him. I feel for him,” Redick said of Reaves, via BasketNews.
“When you have an injury that’s longer-term, not just something like an ankle sprain or a tweaked hamstring where you know you’ll be back in a week, there’s a bit of a grieving process.”
More Reps for Nick Smith Jr.?
The absence of Hachimura could also mean additional playing time for Nick Smith Jr., who was the unsung hero of Sunday’s victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Although Marcus Smart replaced Reaves in the starting unit, Smith was the biggest beneficiary of Reaves’ injury, as he attempted 14 shots off the bench in 25 minutes. After finishing with 21 points, including five made threes, Smith said he’s “locked in” and ready to seize his opportunities in the future.
“This is up and down because obviously I’m on a two-way [contract]. So one day I might play, then the next two games I might not play. So just take it one day at a time,” Smith said after his impressive performance, via ClutchPoints’ David Yapkowitz.
“I try to make sure every day is my game day. I try to make sure I prepare my body when my name is called. And tonight was one of those nights.”
“I’m just in a space where I’m just locked in right now,” he added.
The Lakers (20-10) enter Tuesday’s game against the Pistons (24-8) as -2.5 underdogs, per DraftKings, despite playing at home. The game will be played on LeBron James’ 41st birthday, making it a contest that will garner a lot of spotlight.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
More Heavy on Lakers
Loading more stories