Austin Reaves is about to start his sixth season in the NBA in Los Angeles. But this time he has a very different role within the Lakers. While he spent his first five years playing with LeBron James, the ‘King’ is no longer part of the Lakers’ plans having left the team this summer; Reaves, on the other hand, is still in Los Angeles and has become one of the key players around Luka Dončić.
As the Lakers gear up to enter the new season, Reaves seems to have the seal of approval from one of his newly signed teammates as far as leadership goes. Collin Sexton, spoke about Reaves’ role as one of the senior players, calling him “one of the leaders in the team.” Sexton joined the Lakers this summer, said, “Each and every day when he’s in the gym, he’s ready to work. No complaints out of him.” It would appear Austin Reaves is leading by example heading into this season.
Reaves hit career highs in the 2025-26 regular season in a lot of stats. But more importantly, he was the first option in many instances with both LeBron and Luka Doncic battling injuries. Last season saw his role within the Lakers grow. But that growth exploded overnight after the Lakers lost the arguable GOAT. However, Reaves did pick up a thing or two during his time with the ‘King.’
Austin Reaves Credits LeBron James for His Growth
Reaves has never been shy about acknowledging James’ influence on his career. He spoke about that again in July, shortly after learning that James would leave the Lakers, and described his former teammate as having “probably the biggest impact” on his career since arriving in Los Angeles.
The two had shared every season of Reaves’ NBA career until this summer. In that vein, he even joked about James’ departure when recalling how he found out. He was playing golf when the news reached him and texted James that he had been “having a great day on the golf course” until James ruined it. The joke lasted only a moment before Reaves explained how much respect he had for what James had done for him.
There is plenty of evidence of that development in Reaves’ numbers. He averaged 7.3 points as a rookie, but now that number has soared to 23.3 ppg. This explosion in his production perfectly mirrors the larger change in his place within the organization. In fact, that can be said for his place within the league itself. Reaves is now seen as an All-Star level talent by many, reflected by his recent $180 million extension.
Now Reaves has to apply what he learned without James standing beside him.. However, not everyone is convinced by his exploits last season.
Brian Windhorst believes Austin Reaves’ extension could cause problems for the Lakers
The Lakers made a ton of moves during this offseason. They let go og key role players from last season like Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart. At the same time, they brought in players Walker Kessler and the aforementioned Colin Sexton. Even so, their biggest move may have been re-signing Austin Reaves to a huge, $180 million max extension.
However, journalist and NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes this may lead to problems for the Lakers down the line. Windy opined on the Hoops Collective Podcast that this extension may limit the Lakers’ ability to make moves for other players. Especially after the Walker Kessler signing, he noted.
“Now Austin Reaves, on a max, like, if they wanted to trade him, I think it would be hard. I’m not saying nobody would want it, but I think it would be hard. Let’s say that player X says in the next 6 months – ‘I want to be a Laker. I want to play with Luka.’ Their team’s in a decent spot. I just don’t know if their roster is very flexible.”
While it is true that the Lakers have neither the draft capital nor the cap space to make a big move happen anytime soon, it may be too early to write off the squad. After all, JJ Redick showed in the first round of last year’s Playoffs that he can make the most of a bad situation. Moreover, this may be one of the better teams he’s had as the Lakers coach, sans LeBron. Hence, the Lakers may not need to make another move to be decent contenders in the West. But, ultimately, only time will whether Windy’s concerns are well-founded.
Austin Reaves Gets Praised On His Leadership From New Lakers Guard