Though the Los Angeles Lakers lost LeBron James this summer, the front office made a concerted effort to bring back star shooting guard Austin Reaves on a massive contract extension, and according to new reports, the decision was made in part to appease franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic.
Doncic and Reaves have a close relationship, and while the latter was an unrestricted free agent with a ton of interest from rival teams around the league, the Lakers brought him back on a four-year, $185 million contract extension.
While Doncic has seen an MVP-level start to the season, Reaves hasn’t exactly been the high-level All-Star the team hoped he’d be, but regardless, the team has seen a strong start to the year, currently holding a 5-2 record led by the strong backcourt duo.
Luka Doncic Forced Lakers Into Austin Reaves Decision
Publicly, the Lakers said they had every intention of bringing back Reaves this summer. He did opt out of his previous contract, but after a strong performance last year, he was in line for a huge new deal.
However, the front office could have gone in another direction, perhaps using Reaves as a trade asset to land someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or another major superstar.
But according to Lakers’ insider Jovan Buha, Doncic always wanted the team to keep Reaves, regardless of some of the concerns about the fit between the two on the court together.
“I’ve heard that behind the scenes, that has been reported publicly. Luka wanted Austin back. So if Luka wants Austin back, Austin’s gonna be back. If Luka wants Walker Kessler, the Lakers went out and got Walker Kessler. If Luka wants some of these role players or at least signs off on them, they get him,” he said on his show, Buha’s Block.
“And that’s not to put it on Luka by any means. I’m just stating like, he messes with Austin. He likes Austin. He wanted him. So the Lakers signed him. And I think it was the right decision, but it also was a decision that Luka wanted and Luka backed.”
The strong relationship between Doncic and Reaves has been well-documented, and as Buha said, the Slovenian made it clear he wanted the Lakers to bring him back, as well as go after someone like Kessler, which they did.
But though the Lakers have gotten off to a strong start, questions remain about the defensive ceiling of the duo. Los Angeles currently ranks 20th in defensive rating, which, while not terrible, could be higher if the front office let Reaves leave or used him as a trade asset for another big-name player.
How Have They Played So Far This Season For Los Angeles?
Through the first seven games of the season, the backcourt duo still looks pretty strong together.
As for Doncic, he’s making arguably the strongest MVP case of his career. He is averaging 37.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 48.2/43.2/90.2 shooting splits.
While many were worried about the supporting cast the Lakers build around the franchise star, the drop in talent hasn’t impacted his game and, in fact, has only seen his production increase with James and a few other key players now gone.
As for Reaves, some believe he’s had a bit of an underwhelming start to the year, especially after the high expectations and huge amount of money he re-signed for this summer. Through the first two weeks of the year, he is averaging 23.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 52% shooting.
On paper, it’s very strong, but this is Reaves’ biggest role of his career, and keeping up those numbers for a full season will be a difficult task.
There are still very big concerns about how the duo is playing together on defense, and though the Lakers added some other help to guard the perimeter, it remains to be seen if Doncic and Reaves can have the two-way impact that can continue through multiple playoff rounds.
Regardless, Doncic was set on the Lakers bringing back Reaves, and though the long-term implications of signing him to a deal taking up 25% of the salary cap, the front office did what it could to appease the franchise centerpiece, a decision that right now, looks to have been the correct move.
Luka Doncic Forced Lakers Hand Into Major Austin Reaves Decision: Report