All signs are unfortunately pointing to Los Angele Lakers superstar Luka Doncic missing the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He's already been ruled out for the Lakers' final five regular season games, and is dealing with an injury that could keep him sidelined until mid-May—when Los Angeles may or may not still be competing in the playoffs.
Though there are few silver linings to find, one is that Austin Reaves has been given the golden opportunity to prove he can win a playoff series without Doncic—and thus cement his status as a true co-star.
It's a development that Doncic is actually somewhat familiar with. In 2021-22, he suffered a calf strain during the Dallas Mavericks' regular season finale and went on to miss the first three games of the team's first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
Jalen Brunson stepped up to the plate, dropping 41 points in Game 2 and 31 in Game 3 to give the Mavericks a 2-1 series lead without its franchise player.
It was a star-making stretch from Brunson, who would go on to help Doncic and Dallas reach the Western Conference Finals. He's since gone on to become a two-time All-NBA honoree, with most agreeing he should receive a third career nod in 2025-26.
If Reaves is going to save the Lakers from disaster and confirm the belief that the Lakers should re-sign him in free agency, then he'll need to follow in Brunson's footsteps.
Luka needs Austin Reaves to step up in 2026 like Jalen Brunson did in 2022
For what it's worth: Brunson averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 assists on .502/.373/.840 shooting during the 2021-22 regular season. Reaves, meanwhile, is currently averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists with a slash line of .490/.360/.871.
It's Reaves' second consecutive season with averages of at least 20.0 points and 5.0 assists per game, which bodes well for his ability to operate as a No. 1 in a postseason setting.
Reaves also has a luxury that Brunson lacked: He still has one of the greatest players in NBA history alongside him. Even without Doncic, Reaves will be playing next to four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, and four-time regular season MVP LeBron James.
With James and Reaves leading the charge, there's reason to believe that the Lakers can find a way to win a first-round series and then hopefully get Doncic back for the second round.
If that scenario plays out, and Reaves performs at a high level along the way, then his future will be decided. The Lakers are unlikely to make the same mistake that the Mavericks made when they refused to match Brunson's offer from the New York Knicks, as they've made it perfectly clear for quite some time now that they want Reaves back.
If the Lakers are hoping to proceed with confidence in regard to his status as a true co-star for Doncic, however, then they need Reaves to channel his inner Brunson.