The Los Angeles Lakers have relied on a star duo for years, and Austin Reaves has officially taken over as Luka Doncic’s co-star after LeBron James informed the team he won’t be back. Reaves is about to sign a max contract, but the Lakers had LeBron and Luka or Anthony Davis during his eight years in LA. AR was always the number three, but that just changed.
Luka has faith in Reaves. He wanted the Lakers to re-sign AR and the duo had a 14.5 net rating on the floor together last season without LeBron. Reaves would have been an All-Star, but injuries derailed his season. He played just 51 games, which was the fewest of his NBA career. Reaves is ready to make this leap, but the pressure is on now that LeBron is leaving.
The Lakers have significant work to do in improving their roster around their star duo. Reaves put up the numbers last season, but doing it with the added scrutiny and pressure is a different task.
Austin Reaves is officially Luka’s co-star after LeBron James’ departure
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes per game last season. He shot 49.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent on his 3-point attempts as the Lakers' second-leading scorer.
LeBron accepted being the third option during the Lakers’ 16-2 run in March, but he is still the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. James was taken up a ton of spotlight that will now fall on Luka and AR. Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 and has been playing professionally since his teens. He is ready to be the alpha, but there are questions about how Reaves adapts to the added pressure.
The Lakers forced LeBron’s hand by not making him a priority. They could have extended him last summer or worked out a new deal after the NBA Finals. Instead, they were comfortable handling other business, which prompted King James to move on.
Will Luke and Reaves become one of the Lakers' championship duo like Kobe and Shaq or LeBron and AD? Only time will tell. The Lakers reportedly wanted LeBron back, but it was clear that he would have to be the third option and play a lesser offensive role. Clearly, King James didn’t want that. He is moving on, and it adds pressure to Austin Reaves.
Reaves just got a max contract, so it is time to keep improving. He is an elite scorer with quick decision-making ability. Fans have seen Luka thrive playing next to Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving in Dallas. With the right pieces around them, Reaves could join that list, and the Lakers could be serious title contenders.
The Los Angeles Lakers have officially made Austin Reaves their number two option after LeBron James announced his departure. James is leaving in free agency, and the Lakers must add pieces to stay in contention. AR proved last season he can be Luka’s co-star, but the pressure is on to make it happen without LeBron eating up the spotlight. The Lakers clearly believe and will look different next season. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.
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