Los Angles Lakers youngster Austin Reaves was left off the roster for the league’s Rising Stars Challenge, and NBA insider Shams Charania believes he was one of the biggest snubs from the roster.
.@ShamsCharania with some of his biggest Rising Star snubs this year on #RunItBack 🤧
• Shaedon Sharpe
• Austin Reaves
• Jonathan Kuminga
• Ayo Dosunmu
• Herb JonesWhat do you think? pic.twitter.com/DbQ8hyMrbb
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) February 1, 2023
Some people have taken issue with the fact that some G League players have been named as participants for the game. Lakers two-way player Scotty Pippen Jr., who has spent most of his time this season in the G League, was named to the roster for the game.
Reaves has been having a solid sophomore season for the Lakers, recording 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while knocking down 48.8 percent of his shots from the field and 36.0 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
The 24-year-old has been out of the lineup since early January as he deals with a hamstring injury. He’s set to be re-evaluated by the team on Thursday, so perhaps his injury status is a reason why he was left off the roster.
The Lakers have gone 7-7 in the 14 games that Reaves has missed with the injury.
In his little time with the Purple and Gold, the University of Oklahoma product has become a fan favorite and staple in the rotation. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the Lakers are reportedly expected to look at retaining him.
They might have to shell out a pretty penny, however, as Lakers insider Jovan Buha recently stated that he’s going to command more money than Alex Caruso did when he was a free agent.
Los Angeles is surely hoping that Reaves can return as soon as possible. It needs all the help it can get in its playoff push, as the franchise currently sits in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Despite that standing, there is still some hope due to the fact that the Golden State Warriors are only three games ahead of the Lakers in fifth place.
Furthermore, the Lakers are just two games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the conference’s last play-in tournament spot.
One NBA insider believes Rob Pelinka still has a “move or two left” in him to help make the Lakers competitive this season. Only time will tell if Pelinka ends up making any more deals.
