The Los Angeles Lakers have been vindicated for viewing Austin Reaves as a key cornerstone of the franchise's grander ambitions. Reaves made steady progress through each of his first four NBA seasons and has defied the odds that critics gave him to reach star status in 2025-26.
Though Reaves has undoubtedly silenced a vast majority of the critics who stood against him, there's one hurdle remaining: Proving he can play at a star-caliber level in the playoffs.
Reaves is currently averaging 23.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 three-point field goals made in 33.6 minutes per game. He's on pace to set a new career-best scoring average for a fourth consecutive season and is shooting efficiently at .495/.375/.873.
Compounded by the fact that he's already developed impeccable chemistry with franchise player Luka Doncic, there's every reason to feel comfortable with paying Reaves top dollar.
Thus far in 2025-26, the two-man lineup of Doncic and Reaves ranks in the 83rd percentile in net rating, per Cleaning the Glass. Moreover, they've seamlessly played off of one another, displaying a rare ability to simultaneously go off for the type of explosive performances most duos can only dream of.
The dark cloud hanging over Reaves' head, however, is that he's never proven capable of consistently playing at this level in a postseason setting.
Lakers will learn Austin Reaves' true value in the playoffs
Reaves hasn't been a bad postseason player, but he's never been entrusted the responsibility of a second option in that environment. He's played with some combination of Anthony Davis, Doncic, and LeBron James during his Lakers career, with each facing higher expectations and a heavier workload.
It's also worth noting that Reaves averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 assists on .464/.443/.895 shooting during the Lakers' run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, Reaves' past two trips to the playoffs haven't been quite as rewarding. He averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 assists on .476/.269/.895 shooting when the Lakers were eliminated in five games during the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
A year later, Reaves checked in at 16.2 points and 3.6 assists on .411/.319/.857 shooting as Los Angeles lost in five games during the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
There's reason to believe that Reaves can learn from past experiences and grow as a player, much as he has in the regular season. Until the Lakers see it happen, however, they can't commit themselves to any specific figure in terms of an annual salary.
Reaves has proven that he can thrive alongside Doncic and help the franchise player win, but the true test is about to begin as a burning question finally gets answered.