Austin Reaves’ rise as undrafted free agent to near-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the most fun stories in the NBA and he’s slated to play a much larger role for the team heading into the 2023-24 season.
After the Lakers traded Russell Westbrook at the trade deadline last season, Reaves immediately took off and established himself as a core member of the roster. In the playoffs, the 25-year-old took his game to new heights as he was unafraid of the moment and stepped up when Los Angeles needed him.
The league has taken notice of Reaves as he’s expected to be the third-best Laker this season behind LeBron
James and Anthony Davis. Even ESPN gave Reaves his due when he was named the No. 66 overall player in their annual player rankings.
Los Angeles wrapped up their final preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night and afterward, Reaves noted how he’s feeling physically.
“I feel great,” Reaves said. “We had a plan and we stuck to it and like I said, I feel great. I feel like I got enough reps in order to feel comfortable going into the season. And wind feels good, everything feels good and super excited to start the regular season.”
Reaves was limited during the preseason as he is also coming off his stint with Team USA over the summer, but he looked great in his minutes. The momentum he’s built looks like it’ll continue into the regular season as he looks confident with the basketball in his hands and is shooting it well from every area of the field.
Although D’Angelo Russell and James will have their fair share of opportunities to run the offense, Reaves will also get his touches. Darvin Ham has confirmed that they’ll give Reaves the keys to the offense, and he’s shown that he can shoulder that burden.
The Lakers are one of the few teams that can say they can compete for a championship, and their title hopes could very well hinge on Reaves’ ascent.
Jeanie Buss says Lakers valued Austin Reaves very highly in free agency
There was a possibility that Reaves left in free agency as he drew interest from teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. However, Los Angeles was able to get him on a bargain and is widely viewed as one of the best deals of the offseason.
Jeanie Buss later acknowledged that she and the front office valued Reaves highly in free agency and wanted to do whatever it took to keep him.
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