Austin Reaves rejoins Lakers’ lineup, but LeBron James’ return remains unclear

MINNEAPOLIS — Austin Reaves was back in the Lakers’ lineup for Friday night’s road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing the previous five games because of a bruised left pelvis.

“Feel good,” Reaves said after the team’s Friday morning shootaround. “Been getting treatment about five hours a day for the last week and a half. Feeling really good.”

Reaves suffered the pelvis injury in the Lakers’ Nov. 29 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder after taking a hard fall during the second quarter.

He momentarily went back to the locker room during the final minutes of the second quarter, all of halftime and the start of the third quarter against the Thunder before rejoining the team midway through the third and finished that game before missing the Lakers’ next five.

“I was sore during the game, but I wanted to get out there and compete and try to win that game,” Reaves said. “And unfortunately, we didn’t do that. I felt like it wasn’t beneficial for me or the group to get out there and run around on one leg.”

Before the five-game absence, the fourth-year guard played in 129 consecutive regular-season games from Feb. 7, 2023-Nov. 29, including playing all 82 regular-season games last season.

He also played in 21 playoff games, two Play-In Tournament games and the 2023-24 NBA Cup title game during that stretch.

“I was pissed, to be honest,” Reaves said. “I kind of wanted to keep that streak going. Just want to be available to get on the court every single night with the guys and go and compete.

“But you find the positives in everything and and one of those was to take a week to not just recover the current injury, but just to feel better all in all. That’s what we did and I’m feeling good.”

The Lakers went 2-3 without Reaves, with their offense in particular struggling during his absence.

The team had an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 103.8 in the five games Reaves missed, the league’s third-worst mark during that stretch. They had an offensive rating of 115.5 in their first 19 games with Reaves.

“He’s one of our best players and he’s able to provide us with some thrust and some pace in the halfcourt,” first-year Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Reaves. “Another playmaker, another ball handler. You need multiple ball handlers on the floor anytime you play the Timberwolves because of their wing defenders and their pressure. And then, spiritually, he’s a competitor. I’m looking forward to having him back in the lineup.”

JAMES UPDATE

Star forward LeBron James missed his second consecutive game on Friday with the Lakers listing him out because of left foot soreness after sitting out of last Sunday’s home win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

James didn’t travel with the team to Minneapolis, with the team giving him an excused absence.

Redick said on Wednesday that James had been away from the team the previous few days because of personal reasons, adding that James was “taking some time.”

When asked ahead of Friday’s game whether he had a sense for when James would rejoin the team, Redick responded “no.”

James’ name has been mentioned in trade rumors this week, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst saying on Wednesday that the Golden State Warriors could target he four-time league MVP in a potential acquisition. James has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he would need to approve any deal before it happens.

The Warriors looked into acquiring James prior to last season’s trade deadline.

James, who turns 40 in 2½ weeks, is averaging 23 points (49.5% shooting overall, 35.9% from 3-point range), 9.1 assists and 8 rebounds in 35 minutes per game (23 games).

If James returns to the court for Sunday’s home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, it will have been eight days between games for him after last playing in the Dec. 6 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks.