While the absences of LeBron James and Luka Doncic would normally spell disaster for the Los Angeles Lakers, so far in the 2025-26 NBA season, that hasn’t been the case, thanks to Austin Reaves.
With James yet to play due to sciatica and Doncic only suiting up for two games off finger and leg injuries, Reaves has been the go-to offensive option for the Lakers to begin the year. After four games, he has averages of 35.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 57.3% shooting.
Though now 2-2 following a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about Reaves’ historic start to the season. He said he challenged the guard over the summer to take a larger leadership role within the team, and so far, Reaves has picked up the task with ease.
“The biggest thing was him taking a step forward as a leader and recognizing that it’s as much his team as it is LeBron’s team or Luka’s team,” Redick said postgame. “And acknowledging that he does have innate natural leadership skills, and being able to tap into those more consistently.”
Along with James and Doncic out, Los Angeles has Adou Thiero, Maxi Kleber, Jaxson Hayes, and now Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart on the injury report. With the bare-bones roster, it has been Reaves, along with some help from Deandre Ayton, picking up the pieces through the first week of the season.
Redick On Austin Reaves’ Strong Start
Reaves put in his best season of his career last year, but amid the Doncic trade chaos, his numbers and consistent performance fell through the cracks a bit. Now, after another offseason where the focus was on the team’s other stars, the undrafted guard has taken another massive leap.
Third in scoring and sixth in assists with the best shooting numbers of his career, Reaves has been a premier replacement considering the impact and efficiency Los Angeles lost with James and Doncic out. Redick added that after a few years in the league, he isn’t surprised at the timing of the guard’s growth.
“I told him he’s out of excuses. You’re no longer the undrafted guy who’s a young player who’s unproven,” the coach said. “You’re one of the guys now, and he’s been very responsive to that.”
The early highlight of Reaves’ season was a 51-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist game against the Sacramento Kings. The performance in the win put the 27-year-old on a short list of players to ever achieve that stat line, a feat Doncic had already accomplished.
When speaking on what Reaves has done through the first few seasons of his career in Los Angeles, Redick admitted he likely couldn’t have put in those types of numbers at any point in his career.
“He’s a better player than I ever was. There’s certain things you do in basketball where I can’t coach you on, there’s just not. I didn’t have the game that he had,” he added. “And I think his willingness to just be coached from the first day that I got this job to today, every day he’s just willing to be coached.”
With the injuries, the Lakers have been Reaves’ team to start the year.
Lakers’ Growing Problem
While Reaves has been a godsend for the crippled Lakers roster, his strong play is creating another major problem in the near future for the Lakers.
He is in the final year of a four-year, $53 million deal he signed with the franchise in 2023. Now, Reaves is expected to turn down his $14.8 million player option for next season, setting himself up for free agency in 2026, in which he is reportedly eyeing a deal closer to $40 million a year.
Initially, that number might sound like a ton, but Reaves’ play so far this season is commanding that sort of deal. Yes, it would put him beside the likes of players such as Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball in terms of average annual value for that type of contract, but as seen, his numbers are hard to deny.
Writing for The Athletic, Sam Amick said that at the same time the Lakers are trying to figure out if Reaves is a good fit next to Doncic, the front office has to decide if he is even worth offering a max contract to in the first place.
“While they’ll be able to outbid the competition next July, when his max offer from the Lakers would be five years and a combined $240 million, they need to see how he fits alongside Dončić for a full season first,” Amick wrote. “These are good problems to have for Reaves, and early signs of a complicated offseason for the Lakers.”
Right now, Reaves making $13.9 million this season is picture-perfect for Los Angeles. They have time to figure out how he fits with Doncic, and they are getting MVP-caliber numbers out of a player making less than the mid-level exception.
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