Lakers' Gabe Vincent: Still not cleared for contact
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Vincent (ankle) has been ramping up his on-court work, but he still hasn't been cleared for 1-on-1, contact work, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Vincent is traveling with the team on their current five-game road trip, which shows progress, but until he's going through full-contact, 5-on-5 work, we can assume he's still not close. While head coach JJ Redick said he hoped to have Vincent back closer to the three-week mark of his initial 2-4 week timetable, which would hint at a potential Nov. 18 return date, that seems unlikely given there won't be much practice time while the team is traveling for the next week.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Upgraded to available
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Kleber (oblique) has been upgraded to available for Saturday's game against the Hawks.
Kleber will be available to make his regular-season debut in this matchup. He'll add depth to the frontcourt, but he shouldn't carry significant fantasy upside in most formats.
Kleber (oblique) is questionable for Saturday's game in Atlanta, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber has yet to make his regular-season debut, but he'll have a chance to do so Saturday night. However, he's not expected to be a significant part of the rotation.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Remains out for Saturday
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Reaves (groin) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Reaves will miss a third straight game due to a groin issue. As a result, the team will continue to turn to Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia, with Bronny James potentially getting more time on the floor.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Cleared for contact
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ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that James (back) has been cleared for contact basketball activities.
James' next step is to be cleared for 5-on-5 action, and he's scheduled to be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Charania reported Wednesday that James won't travel on Los Angeles' five-game road trip, so his earliest possible return date remains Nov. 18 against the Jazz.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Best scoring effort of season
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Smart amassed 17 points (3-10 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 10-10 FT), five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 118-116 victory over the Spurs.
The 17 points were a season high for Smart, as were the five boards. The veteran guard hasn't had a big role in the Lakers' offense so far, with his 7.7 field-goal attempts and 4.3 three-point attempts a game being only slightly higher than last season's shot volume, even though he's playing 8.7 more minutes a contest. However, Smart has made an impact defensively, averaging 1.6 steals a game to go along with 10.3 points, 3.4 assists, 2.3 boards and 1.0 threes.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Second straight double-double
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Ayton closed Wednesday's 118-116 win over the Spurs with 22 points (9-13 FG, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal across 33 minutes.
The double-double was Ayton's second straight since returning from a one-game absence due to back spasms, and his fourth of the season in eight contests. The 27-year-old center is averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 boards, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists to begin his first season with the Lakers, and his rebounding numbers should tick up as the campaign progresses -- Ayton has never failed to average a double-double in the NBA since being drafted first overall by the Suns in 2018.
Doncic generated 35 points (9-27 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 13-17 FT), nine rebounds, 13 assists, five steals and two blocks over 42 minutes of Wednesday's 118-116 win over the Spurs.
Doncic didn't have the most efficient shooting night, but he still finished with 35 points. The star point guard's 13 assists were a season high. He had one of the best defensive games of his career from a statistical standpoint, notching five steals for just the third time in his career and swatting multiple shots -- something he did just twice in the 2024-25 regular season. In five appearances this season, Doncic is averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Returns to bench
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Knecht isn't part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Knecht started the Lakers' most recent game, but he'll be bumped back to the second unit now that Luka Doncic is healthy. Considering Austin Reaves (groin), LeBron James (sciatica) and Gabe Vincent (ankle) are still out, expect Knecht to see considerable run off the bench.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Won't travel on five-game trip
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James (back) will not travel with the team on their upcoming five-game road trip, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been targeting a mid-November return, but he needs to complete full-contact, 5-on-5 work before he's cleared to play, and that won't happen while he's away from the team. The Lakers return from their road trip Nov. 16, and then play Nov. 18 at home against the Jazz, leaving little time for James to get in some quality practices.
Hayes (ankle) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Hayes has been dealing with an ankle issue, but it won't keep him off the floor. In five games played this season, the veteran center is averaging 5.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 76.5 percent from the field.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Won't play Wednesday
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Reaves (groin) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Reaves is dealing with a groin injury, which will result in him missing a second straight game. The team will likely turn to Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht to help shoulder the load in the backcourt. The next opportunity for Reaves to return will be Saturday against the Hawks.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Out again Wednesday
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Reaves (groin) will not play Wednesday against the Spurs, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Despite going through shootaround, Reaves was unable to shake his questionable tag and will miss a second straight game. His next chance to play comes Saturday against the Hawks. In the meantime, the Lakers will likely use a committee approach to soak up Reaves' minutes with guys like Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht in the mix.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Goes through shootaround
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Reaves (groin) participated in Wednesday's morning shootaround, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports.
Reaves remains questionable to suit up against the Spurs after missing Monday's game against the Trail Blazers. He seems to be trending in the right direction, however. The guard holds averages of 31.1 points, 9.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.0 three-pointers through seven regular-season contests.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Questionable for Wednesday
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Reaves (groin) is questionable to play Wednesday against the Spurs, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
We'll have a better idea on Reaves' status based on his activity level at Wednesday's shootaround, but if he can get back out there, Jake LaRavia would likely return to the second unit. Marcus Smart could also lose some minutes upon Reaves' return.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Remains out for Wednesday
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Kleber (oblique) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, NBA reporter Jovan Buha reports.
Kleber has yet to play a game this season as he continues to deal with an oblique injury. The next opportunity for him to make his season debut will be Saturday against the Hawks.
