The Los Angeles Lakers front office is currently focused on putting a roster around Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves that can compete for a championship, and that started with the center position.
It’s no secret that the Lakers needed to add multiple centers this offseason and they finally did on Wednesday when they agreed to terms with Deandre Ayton on a free agent contract. Ayton gives the Lakers a high-upside center that should get spoon-fed easy buckets while playing with Doncic, James and Reaves.
There still is some uncertainty surrounding that core, as James and Reaves have both been linked to potential trades this offseason. Rob Pelinka has made it clear that he believes in that trio, although things can always change at any time.
It was recently reported that James and Reaves potentially don’t enjoy playing with Doncic, which could be the source of the uncertainty this offseason. It appears that report is erroneous though as Reaves’ agent Aaron Reilly confirmed to Lakers Nation that his client has indeed enjoyed his time with Doncic:
Regarding the report that Austin Reaves doesn't like playing with Luka Doncic, Reaves' agent @AMRAgency had this to say:
"Austin has nothing but the utmost respect for Luka and truly enjoys playing alongside him. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false. He’s excited…
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) July 3, 2025
Doncic and Reaves built a close relationship in a short amount of time on the Lakers last season, so this doesn’t come as a surprise.
Considering the Lakers do not want to trade Reaves, they view him and Doncic as their long-term core. Because of that, it’s good to see Reaves’ agent clear the air and nip this “report” in the bud before it grew more legs.
Austin Reaves wants to grow with LeBron James and Luka Doncic
At the start of the offseason, Austin Reaves discussed his belief in the Lakers’ trio and desire to grow with LeBron James and Luka Doncic moving forward.
“Just continuing to grow together,” he said. “Obviously they’re unbelievable basketball players and the more time we spend, not with just them, but the whole unit, you’re just gonna become more cohesive, more together, know exactly what you’re gonna do every possession when things get tough, you’re rolling with how you want to play the game. I thought we did a really good job of that in the regular season and we just didn’t play good enough in this series.”
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