Lakers Rule Out Key Stars vs. Spurs as Injuries Mount Ahead of All-Star Break
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without several key players Tuesday night when they take on the San Antonio Spurs, as the team continues to prioritize health heading into the All-Star break. Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain), LeBron James (left foot arthritis), Austin Reaves (left calf injury management), and Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) have all been ruled out for the matchup.
Deandre Ayton is listed as questionable with right knee soreness, while Adou Thiero has been upgraded to available for the first time since late December after recovering from a right MCL sprain.
This is the second game in as many nights for the Lakers, and given the timing-just two games left before the break-the team is clearly taking a cautious approach. It's a smart move. Health has been a recurring theme all season, and with the postseason picture still very much in play, keeping the roster intact long-term outweighs the short-term push.
Doncic’s hamstring strain occurred in the second quarter of last week’s win over the 76ers, and he’s since missed two games. The Lakers split those outings, picking up a win over the Warriors before falling to the Thunder.
The hope, of course, is that Doncic can return soon-but hamstrings are tricky. Rushing back too soon can turn a minor tweak into a multi-week setback, and with the All-Star break looming, the team has a built-in recovery window if needed.
The Lakers wrap up the first half of the season Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks-Doncic’s former team. Naturally, he’ll want to be out there, but the bigger picture may dictate otherwise. He’s also slated to start in the All-Star Game, but again, that hinges on how the hamstring responds over the next few days.
As for the rest of the injury report, there’s no indication of anything long-term. James, Reaves, and Smart all played Monday, so this appears to be more about managing wear and tear than dealing with new setbacks. Still, their absence opens the door for others to step up.
Expect an uptick in minutes for players like Adou Thiero, who’s finally back after missing more than a month, along with Kobe Bufkin, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt. It’s a chance for the Lakers’ depth to show what it can do-and for the coaching staff to evaluate rotational options heading into the stretch run.
This will mark LeBron’s 18th missed game of the season, and with that, he’s now ineligible for regular-season awards like All-NBA. It’s a tough pill to swallow for one of the league’s most consistent stars, but again, the priority is clearly on being ready when it matters most.
Austin Reaves, who just recently returned to the lineup, acknowledged how much the team misses Doncic when he’s not out there.
“I talked to him a little bit at halftime, asked if he was OK, and he kind of just looked at me,” Reaves said. “Hopefully it’s nothing major.
We need him. He’s our best player and the engine of a lot of stuff that we do.”
He’s not wrong. Doncic is the centerpiece of this team’s offense-its rhythm, its identity, its heartbeat. Without him, the Lakers can still compete, but they’re not the same team.
If Doncic doesn’t suit up Thursday, the silver lining is that he’d get an extended rest through the All-Star break. That could be just what he needs to come back at full strength for the second half of the season.
For now, the Lakers will lean on their depth and hope that a few days of rest will bring some much-needed relief to a roster that’s been battling injuries all year.