The Los Angeles Lakers will have to wait to get their first complete look at their revamped roster.
Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma will not play Monday night when the Lakers open their preseason against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, according to California Post reporter Khobi Price.
The absences remove two projected starters and two offseason additions from coach JJ Redick’s available group.
Reaves’ absence is particularly notable because he enters the season as one of the pillars of the Lakers’ new era alongside Luka Dončić. Kessler, meanwhile, is expected to anchor the middle after Los Angeles acquired him during its offseason roster overhaul.
Redick provided more details before the game, explaining what happened to each of the four players.
Kessler jammed his finger on the backboard, while Reaves tweaked his ankle. Sexton and Kaluma are dealing with lower-body ailments, according to Redick.
The encouraging news for Los Angeles is that none of the injuries is considered serious. Redick described all four players as day-to-day.
That should ease any concern about an injury report that, at first glance, looked fairly significant. Reaves and Kessler are projected starters, while Sexton figures to have a prominent role in Redick’s backcourt.
Lakers Will Wait for Walker Kessler, Austin Reaves
Kessler’s absence delays one of the most anticipated debuts of the Lakers’ preseason.
The 7-foot-1 center was brought in to provide the rim protection and vertical threat Los Angeles lacked last season. Redick has already called Kessler a “perfect fit” alongside Dončić and Reaves, making their three-man combination one of the more intriguing elements of the Lakers’ redesigned roster.
Reaves sitting also creates additional opportunities for Los Angeles’ crowded group of guards and wings.
Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy and Bronny James could receive extended opportunities in the backcourt, while Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Adou Thiero are among several wings trying to establish their places in Redick’s rotation.
The Lakers have spent training camp emphasizing defensive pressure and competition on the perimeter. Monday should provide the first opportunity to see which of those players can carry it into a game setting.
Collin Sexton’s L.A. Debut Also Delayed
Sexton’s absence comes after the veteran guard appeared at Monday’s shootaround with his lower right leg wrapped around the calf area.
Price reported earlier Monday that Sexton participated in light jogging and lateral movement before doing resistance work with a harness. No specific injury diagnosis was reported.
The Lakers signed Sexton to a two-year deal this summer, adding another aggressive scorer to a backcourt built around Dončić and Reaves.
Kaluma, another offseason addition, will also have to wait to make his Lakers preseason debut.
The four absences shouldn’t create much alarm in early October. Preseason is designed for experimentation, and playing on consecutive nights gives Los Angeles even more reason to manage workloads.
But it does change what Monday’s opener can accomplish.
Instead of seeing something close to Redick’s preferred rotation, the Lakers will get an extended evaluation of their depth.
For a roster with several players fighting for jobs and minutes, that might make the first preseason game more revealing than expected.
Lakers Issue Major Injury News Before Kings Preseason Opener