For the second straight game, Austin Reaves (groin) will be unavailable for the Lakers. Reaves was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s tilt with the Spurs, but the guard has since been ruled out.
It is impossible to overstate how well Reaves has been playing in 2025-26, especially with Los Angeles missing the services of LeBron James (sciatica) to start the season. In fact, Reaves is currently sitting fourth in the NBA in points per game (31.1), tied with Utah’s Lauri Markkanen. The guard also leads the league in free throws made per contest (9.2) and he trails only Luka Doncic on the Lakers’ roster in usage rate at 30.8%. Needless to say, his absence leaves a massive void in Los Angeles’ rotation.
In Monday’s 123-115 win over the Blazers, Dalton Knecht drew the spot start, logging 23.0 minutes and scoring eight points. However, it was sixth man Nick Smith Jr. that really drew the headlines, registering 25 points and dishing out six assists off the bench. Smith’s 29.5% usage rate ranked second on the team. It should be noted that Luka Doncic was inactive for that victory and the NBA’s leader in usage rate will be back in action this evening. However, with just a $4,200 salary on DraftKings, Smith is a clear value option on Wednesday’s late DFS slate.
