Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler remain day-to-day as the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to face the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, with JJ Redick describing the injuries that kept both players out of the preseason opener as minor.
Reaves tweaked his ankle, while Kessler jammed a finger against the backboard. Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma also missed Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings with lower-body ailments.
Walker Kessler jammed his finger on the backboard while Austin Reaves tweaked his ankle, per JJ Redick.
Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma are dealing with lower-body ailments.
None of them are dealing with serious injuries and are day-to-day, per Redick. https://t.co/JehtenA9rN
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 6, 2026
The update offered reassurance about the injuries, but it did not establish that any of the four players would be available against Golden State.
As of Tuesday afternoon, their returns and the Lakers’ starting lineup for the Warriors game had not been confirmed in the reporting available.
That leaves Los Angeles with a different question after its opening win: When will Redick get a game look at more of the combinations he expects to use around Luka Doncic?
Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler among 4 Lakers awaiting returns
The distinction between a short-term injury and clearance to play matters on the second night of a back-to-back. Redick left open the possibility of players returning Tuesday, without making a commitment.
“The guys that are out tonight may play tomorrow, but for the most part they’re all day-to-day,” Redick said.
Here is the latest reported situation for the four players who missed the opener:
- Austin Reaves: Ankle injury; Day-to-day.
- Walker Kessler: Jammed finger; Day-to-day.
- Collin Sexton: Lower-body ailment; Day-to-day.
- Arthur Kaluma: Lower-body ailment; Day-to-day.
Those descriptions come from Monday’s update. They should not be read as a newly issued Tuesday injury report or as confirmation that a player has been ruled out for a second game.
Spectrum SportsNet posted Redick’s pregame media availability Monday evening:
JJ Redick talks with @LakersReporter and the media ahead of the #Lakers preseason opener in Sacramento against the Kings. pic.twitter.com/jPofGJIGyg
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 6, 2026
For Sexton, the update supplied information beyond the uncertainty surrounding his appearance at shootaround. Lakers Daily’s earlier report on his status covered the wrapping around his lower right leg, without identifying a diagnosis.
Redick subsequently placed Sexton in the same day-to-day category as the other three players. His description remained a general lower-body issue, so there is no confirmed basis here for assigning Sexton a more specific injury or recovery timetable.
Why Austin Reaves’ return matters to the Lakers’ rotation
Reaves’ availability affects more than the identity of the starting shooting guard. It also determines whether Redick can begin testing the substitution pattern he has discussed for his two primary perimeter creators.
Redick said he expected to separate portions of Doncic’s and Reaves’ minutes, generally keeping one of them on the floor.
That plan gives preseason possessions with Reaves a specific purpose. The Lakers need to evaluate who complements him when Doncic rests, how the ball moves within those groups and which players can initiate an action before Reaves becomes involved.
Sexton’s availability is part of that assessment. If both guards return, Redick could examine how they share responsibility instead of asking either to organize every possession.
That is a possible combination to evaluate, rather than an announced assignment for Tuesday.
Reaves has also described a broader offensive goal. At Media Day on Sept. 28, he said the Lakers wanted more variety and ball movement.
“So we’re going to implement good offense, and we’re going to move the ball side-to-side and get teams in rotation,” said Redick.
That approach puts value on decisions made before a shot: making the next pass, attacking a recovering defender and keeping space available for a teammate.
A returning Reaves would let the Lakers test those habits with another of their central offensive players involved.
Walker Kessler has a different part of the lineup to develop
Kessler’s absence delayed the first preseason look at his partnership with Doncic, a connection that had already produced encouraging moments in practice.
After the opening day of training camp on Sept. 29, Kessler estimated that Doncic had found him for about four lobs.
How many Luka Dončić lobs for his new center Walker Kessler in his first official practice with the Lakers?
"Today? A couple. Like four probably. Yeah, we have a good connection. It's pretty easy playing with him."
More from Walker Kessler on Tuesday’s training camp opening: pic.twitter.com/dcCgbKmwYM
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) September 29, 2026
That was Kessler’s description of a practice, not a game statistic. The next step is seeing how the pairing functions when an opponent is trying to deny those opportunities.
A defender moving toward Doncic can leave room for Kessler near the basket. If the defense stays attached to the center, the ball-handler may have more space to work.
Help arriving from elsewhere can change which perimeter teammate becomes available.
The timing of the screen and roll, along with the positioning of the other three Lakers, will influence those choices. That is why even a limited preseason appearance could provide useful evidence beyond whether the pair completes a highlight play.
Kessler’s return would also allow Redick to evaluate his perimeter defenders with the center behind them.
Reaves had already identified Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams as defensive standouts in camp, while describing the challenge of attacking a group that included Kessler near the basket.
The full group still needs game repetitions together. Strong individual pressure and coordinated help are related tasks, but success at the first does not automatically establish the second.
Monday’s starting lineup was shaped by the absences
With Reaves and Kessler unavailable, there starting five consisted of Doncic, Quentin Grimes, Thybulle, Williams and Kevon Looney.
That combination provided an opening look at several players together, but it should not be treated as confirmation of the regular-season lineup. Two of the players around whom Redick has been evaluating combinations were missing.
Lakers Daily previously examined the two starting jobs alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. The relevant question remains how the other players fit with that core, not simply who was introduced first in an exhibition.
Redick has also cautioned against treating the rotation as permanent. In his Sept. 29 discussion of playing time, he described a season in which players would have opportunities to earn roles.
“It’s a meritocracy,” Redick said. “You really have to earn your minutes.”
That gives the healthy players a meaningful assignment even while the lineup is incomplete. Their auditions can help establish useful combinations, but the coaches will still need to compare those groups with versions that include the missing regulars.
Monday did give the available group something to build on. The Lakers came away with a 127-103 victory, with Doncic scoring 21 points, Grimes adding 16 and Cameron Carr contributing 19.
Los Angeles made 20 3-pointers and recorded 15 steals and four blocks.
Those results give Redick a reason to revisit productive combinations.
They do not resolve how minutes should be distributed when the injured players are available, or establish that the same shooting and defensive production will carry over against another opponent.
When do the Lakers play the Warriors?
The Lakers schedule lists Tuesday’s Lakers-Warriors preseason game for 7 p.m. PST.
The immediate news to watch is whether Redick clears any of the four injured players, followed by the announced lineup.
A return would open another part of the preseason evaluation; another absence would leave the available players with more opportunities to show how they fit.
For now, Monday’s assessment offers reassurance about the severity of the injuries. It leaves Tuesday’s participation decisions unresolved.
