Austin Reaves sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain on April 2 during a regular-season matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka Doncic was injured in that same game after tweaking his hamstring, and both players have remained sidelined while rehabbing ever since.
However, after being listed as a game-time decision in each of the last two games of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, Reaves is reportedly “optimistic” that he will return for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Reaves is still expected to be listed as a game-time decision and will go through warmups before a final determination is made.
Still, there is growing expectation that he could be back on the floor as L.A. looks to close out the series, currently holding a 3-1 lead after dropping Game 4 on Sunday.
Reaves has been a major contributor to the Lakers’ success this season, serving as the team’s second-leading scorer behind Doncic while averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game during the regular season.
L.A. leaned heavily on LeBron James amid the injuries, while also getting strong production from players like Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton, along with key contributions off the bench.
It remains unclear how head coach JJ Redick plans to utilize Reaves — whether on a minutes restriction, back in the starting lineup, or eased in off the bench. Regardless, his potential return would provide a significant boost, easing the ball-handling burden on James and adding another proven scoring threat to the rotation.