Before 2026-27, Austin Reaves was the gift that kept on giving. The Los Angeles Lakers guard was greatly exceeding the value of his contract, giving the franchise tremendous bang for their buck. This new season brings with it expectations that are already being set up with the consequences of failure.
Jovan Buha said on The Lakers Collective: "How does Austin perform in the playoffs? ... The defense, another big part of it as well. ... This can work, and we'll see how it develops. If he can't, and he's more so a notch or two below that, then I think the Lakers do potentially have to trade him."
Buha highlighted that Los Angeles is betting on the version of Reaves that played like a borderline All-NBA guard for stretches of last season. If the playoff struggles continue, that $180 million contract starts to look a touch suspect.
This is a premature conversation based on projections, and Buha said as much on the episode. However, the talking points do highlight just how much things have changed for Reaves ever since being elevated from overachieving bargain to a max contract player.
Lakers understood the calculated risk with Austin Reaves
The Lakers knew they had very little choice but to pay up for Reaves, especially when the Detroit Pistons came calling with a max contract. To his credit, the star guard played ball with the Lakers and gave them a discount in the second season of the contract so they could have access to the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception next offseason.
Reaves' selfless nature can be found in that type of move. There is one department the Lakers will need to see him be a bit more selfish, though.
With LeBron James gone, Reaves needs to assert himself properly as the second star in Los Angeles. The Lakers are looking for his production to be up to par with that type of status.
If it is not, the painful future that Buha described could await both parties. No one truly wants to see the two sides break up, but that may be an uncomfortable discussion that is had in the future if Reaves does not deliver what the Lakers are demanding with this payday.
Moving off Austin Reaves should not be impossible even if he fails
One would think that if Reaves underdelivers in the playoffs again, it would be difficult to move the remaining sum of his contract out of Los Angeles. That is a fair expectation, but it could also be misguided.
Questions of fit and the build in Los Angeles that features two big-time ball-handlers will inevitably arise. That should help another team, with a different infrastructure, talk themselves into acquiring Reaves and supporting him with a roster make-up that is viewed as more complimentary than what the Lakers have.
That should create a path for an exit, if it is needed. The Lakers, and many fans, will hope that it never comes. However, the heightened pressure on Reaves to perform does invite the distant thought.
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