Ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers had finally caught a break. The team has struggled with injuries to its stars all season, from Luka Doncic and LeBron James earlier this year to Austin Reaves, now sidelined with a calf strain. However, just when it looked like things were getting better, something weird happened.

ESPN insider Shams Charania posted on X that Reaves would be “available to return to the lineup on Wednesday.” Still, just a few moments later, the post was deleted with no explanation. This was extremely odd, considering Charania’s senior status at ESPN as one of the top NBA insiders, and later, things got worse.

On the Lakers’ official injury report, Reaves, along with rookie forward Adou Thiero, is going to continue to sit out to rest his left calf. The timing mattered here. LA was preparing for a nationally televised game, and Reaves’ presence ripples across lineups, and completely changes the dynamic of the team.

The reason Charania’s post was believable was that Reaves is expected to return to the team soon. Previously, head coach JJ Redick told reporters that Reaves is “sooner than later” expected to return, likely during the team’s current road trip, which ends in Brooklyn on February 3rd.

Currently, the Lakers are taking things slowly to closely manage Reaves’ calf, especially given that his current injury is a reaggravation of a prior one.

This cautious approach mirrors how the Bucks have handled Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has reaggravated his calf strain multiple times this season—missing 15 games already while ramping up slowly in practice, with recent reports noting flare-ups after explosive on-court bursts.

Calf strains in particular have seen a lot more attention this season following Tyrese Haliburton‘s devastating Achilles injury in the 2025 Finals, which was a result of a strained calf.

According to Redick, Reaves has already played in a ‘stay-ready’ game but will still undertake a bit more “exposure” and full-contact basketball before he finally returns.

Los Angeles Lakers Fans Turn on Shams Charania After Deleted Austin Reaves Update

As soon as notifications and screenshots of the Austin Reaves tweet began making rounds on the internet, fans responded. The initial response was confusion, with many questioning just how something as routine as a player availability update could go sideways, especially from someone who regularly breaks league-altering news.

“Shams easily got confirmation about the Luka trade when it happened but couldn’t get a simple source to confirm that Austin Reaves was out for tomorrow’s game,” one fan wrote.

They framed the issue as a lapse of credibility instead of a simply mistake, a sentiment that quickly became popular.

That skepticism escalated easily as fans engaged with Charania’s post, which vanished without explanation. For many, the delete stood out, especially with the game set for national television.

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Lakers fans have every reason to eye Reaves’ return, as the offense has clearly tailed off without him; their offensive rating slips to 116.8 in the 22 games he has missed, compared to 119.4 when he plays. On top of that, his +57 plus-minus on the season underscores how consistently he tilts minutes in Los Angeles’ favor whenever he is on the floor.

“clicked so fast on shams notification cause i read austin reaves name but mf deleted the tweet as soon as it loaded 😭😭,” one comment read.

It captured the emotional whiplash of optimism, which quickly turned to irritation as the day went on.

From there, the conversation took a familiar turn: a debate about reliability. The deleted tweet became symbolic as fans revisited long-running comparisons between Charania and his predecessor.

“This is why Woj > Shams coz wtf was that?!”

In September 2023, he briefly posted that Damian Lillard had been traded to the Raptors, only to delete the report once it proved incorrect. For someone with his track record, those kinds of walk-backs are uncommon, but they underscore how unforgiving and high-pressure the NBA insider game can be when every scoop is expected to be both instant and flawless.

This post echoed a blunt sentiment many expressed, turning the deleted post into fuel for a bigger argument.

Humor eventually crept in, becoming the outlet for fans’ frustration, with many joking about the experience amid the chatter.

“Shams too busy practicing for the celebrity game that he scammed everyone about reaves dawg wtf.”

Charania was recently selected as a player for the Celebrity Game on All-Star weekend, something that fans were quick to mock in their irritation.

By the end, the mood had settled into disappointment, with what began as excitement quickly giving way to a lingering sense of being let down.

“dude had me smiling at work man now im pissed.”

One fan summed up plainly in the middle of the discussions.