The Los Angeles Lakers are fresh off of a huge win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night by a final score of 127-125.
That win could have a big impact on the Western Conference standings at the end of the year. Now, the Lakers hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets.
If the season were to end today, Los Angeles would hold the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. Led by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James, the Lakers have started looking like a potential NBA Finals contender.
With that being said, Reaves has been playing at a very high level all season long. He put together another strong performance in the win over Denver, scoring 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Reaves is actually starting to trend towards a historical NBA milestone.
Lakers Star Austin Reaves Is Looking to Join Elite Company
As shared by Polymarket Hoops, Reaves is on pace to be the third guard to average 20 or more points on a 65 true shooting percentage. The only other two to accomplish that feat are Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
24.0 PPG 4.8 RPG 5.5 APG 65.4% TS
On pace to be the 3rd guard to have a season averaging 20+ PPG on 65%+ TS (Steph & SGA).
Those numbers show just how good Reaves has been on the offensive end of the court. He has become an elite running mate for Luka Doncic.
Following the 2025-26 NBA season, James is set to become a free agent. Reaves will also need a new contract. More than likely, he will become the new clear-cut No. 2 option behind Doncic with James leaving town.
At least for now, Reaves could become the third players in NBA history to reach the above numbers.
What Does the Future Hold for Austin Reaves & the Lakers?
According to Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily, the Lakers are expected to offer Reaves a huge five-year, $240 million contract this coming offseason.
Back in November, Reaves spoke out to ESPN about his future in Los Angeles. He made it clear that he wants to remain with the Lakers.
“I try not to think about it,” Reaves said. “Honestly. I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it. Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”
Throughout the course of the 2025-26 NBA season thus far, Reaves has played in 41 games and made 35 starts. He has averaged 24 points per game to go along with 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 38 percent from the three-point line.
Expect to see the two parties work out a new contract during the offseason. Reaves is playing at an impressive level and he’ll likely continue doing that in Los Angeles.
Lakers Star Austin Reaves Trending Towards NBA History