The Los Angeles Lakers have built their roster to maximize Luka Doncic’s abilities. The Lakers established that goal heading into the offseason and especially aimed to follow through once they learned LeBron James was headed in a new direction.
A major piece of offseason business for the Lakers was to lock star guard Austin Reaves to a long-term deal. In the end, Reaves, 28, agreed to a four-year deal worth roughly $180 million, firmly planting him as Doncic’s star sidekick as the Lakers aim to compete for the first championship in the Doncic era.
Much has been said about the Lakers’ roster philosophy, with many pointing to the 2023-24 Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks — a team also led by Doncic — as the blueprint. That team featured Kyrie Irving as Doncic’s co-star, thus fueling the Irving vs. Reaves debate.
What Lakers Superstar Had to Say About the Comparison
The on-paper comparison makes sense. Both Irving and Reaves are excellent scorers, have a knack for hitting clutch shots and are particularly popular. Irving played with Doncic for two years, while Reaves is entering his second season as Doncic’s teammate. So, what does the 27-year-old perennial NBA MVP candidate have to say about the Reaves and Irving comparison? There shouldn’t be one.
“In Reaves, whom the Lakers re-signed to a four-year, $185 million deal, Dončić sees the kind of second scorer he needs to absorb some of the load,” wrote Sports Illustrated NBA insider Chris Mannix. “Dončić is quick to squash comparisons between Reaves and Irving (‘Two different players,’ he says) but the value is the same. ‘I know when I play pick-and-roll, when I play one-on-one, they’re not going to help off him and same way around,’ says Dončić. So, I think when we’re both together on the floor, we have a lot more space.’”
Reaves Has Chance to Become Doncic’s Best Teammate
Entering his ninth season in the NBA, Doncic has played with a fair amount of elite talent. With Doncic and the Lakers firmly entering their title window and both viewing Reaves as a worthy second option, we could be headed for a long run with Doncic and Reaves sharing the backcourt in L.A., especially if the franchise comes close to achieving the level of success it envisions with Doncic at the fore.
Reaves is already coming off his best season as a pro, registering his highest scoring average and, especially when James was sidelined at the start of the season, showed what he can do in a larger role.
While Irving may always be the most talented and accomplished guard Doncic ever plays with, the 34-year-old Mavs star didn’t share uniforms with Doncic as long as he may have hoped.
What could contribute to Reaves becoming Doncic’s best teammate ever is simply timing. Doncic and Reaves are close in age — Doncic and Irving shared a six-year age gap as co-stars — and both are entering their primes. We are on the verge of seeing the best of both players.
But for now, Irving is the only co-star who has shared the court with Doncic in an NBA Finals run. Until Reaves does his part in getting the Lakers to the championship round, Irving will have that edge on him.
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