Austin Reaves had a pretty rough start to his 2026 NBA Playoffs campaign, but he was just returning from his oblique injury. However, it was almost as rough a start as the Lakers could have asked for, and considering he is in a contract year, Reaves theoretically has millions on the line this postseason run. And last year wasn’t exactly a breeze for Reaves, either.
Based on everything that has unfolded this season, Reaves is going to get paid this summer. And barring the unthinkable, the Lakers are going to be the team that pays him. However, if Lakers ownership decides to lean on the cheaper side, they could define part of Reaves’ offseason payday by how he plays in the playoffs.
And Game 5 wasn’t a great start.
Austin Reaves' inefficient shooting and bad defense could cost him
The Lakers had a second straight chance to close out their first-round series against the Houston Rockets in Game 5. But for the second straight game, they failed to finish the job.
With Reaves returning to the lineup, it felt like the Lakers would have enough to get over the hump after their blowout loss in Game 4. But Reaves didn’t exactly provide the Lakers with what they thought he could.
Reaves hadn’t played in a game since April 2. It was completely unclear when he would return to the Lakers’ lineup. Yet even when he did, it wasn’t ideal.
The Lakers star finished the night with 22 points, four rebounds, six assists, and three turnovers. He shot 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. But his overall efficiency left much to be desired.
By the end of the night, Reaves had shot a measly 4-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-8 from beyond the three-point line. Needless to say, the Lakers probably wanted more.
Last year was pretty rough for Reaves, too. The Lakers obviously lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, and Reaves didn’t play great. He shot just 41.1% from the floor and 31.9% from deep range.
Plus, his defense has never been all that. He gets picked on all the time, and when the postseason comes around, teams focus even more of their efforts into bringing him into every action.
If the trend continues, and the Lakers worry about his long-term ability to impact winning when it matters most, he could lose millions in free agency.
Combine his playoff inefficiency with a lack of consistent defense, and things get a little shaky. No matter how great Reaves was during the regular season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google