Austin Reaves went undrafted in 2021, but that was actually by choice. The Pistons wanted to take him with the No. 42 pick and sign him to a two-way, but his agents believed that he'd have a better opportunity to eventually sign a standard deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, who had already told him they'd sign him to a two-way if he wasn't drafted.
The 27-year-old's latest accomplishment is being on the cover of SLAM Magazine. He discussed his journey to the NBA, including turning down the opportunity to be drafted and securing a roster spot with the Lakers.
Reaves said that "it wasn't easy" to pass on the chance to be drafted, but that he "trusted" his agents and "the analytics behind how they thought it would go in certain situations." They wanted him to be in LA, even if it meant going undrafted.
It's safe to say that it worked out, as Reaves has gone from being undrafted to signing a four-year, $56 million contract to becoming a star for the Lakers. If he could go back in time, he probably wouldn't change a thing, although the Pistons would. Detroit would take him with that No. 42 pick.
Reaves talked about turning down opportunity to be drafted by Pistons
He has made the most of his time in LA from the start. He played 61 games as a rookie (19 starts), averaging 23.2 minutes. Reaves started three more games in his second season than he did as a rookie, averaging 13 points per game. That led to his four-year deal in the 2023 offseason.
In his third season, he started more than half of the games he played for the first time and reached the 82-game mark (57 starts). Last season, Reaves started all 73 games he played, averaging 20.1 points per contest.
This season, he's averaging a career-high 25.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 50.8% shooting from the field and 36.3% from three. Reaves has been limited to only 28 games, though, after missing several weeks with a calf strain.
Even though a lot has changed in Los Angeles since Reaves first arrived, from a few different head coaches to Luka Dončić's arrival, he's someone that the Lakers want to keep around. He's due for quite the payday this summer, one that will be more than the $89.2 million deal that LA offered before the season began. We're talking in the range of five years and $241 million.
Imagine telling that to Reaves in 2021. You know what? He would've believed it. He knew that all he needed was a chance, and he got the one he wanted from the Lakers (sorry not sorry, Pistons).