The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold on July 30, 2021. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that Los Angeles had signed an undrafted free agent named Austin Reaves to a two-way contract, which was met with optimism among the hopefuls and disregard among the cynics.
Three years later, Reaves is one of the most important players in Los Angeles—and the organization is finally treating him as such.
Reaves, 26, is currently preparing for his fourth NBA season. It'll be his first year under head coach JJ Redick, who was hired earlier this summer, and it appears as though Los Angeles has finally made a firm commitment to seeing what caliber of player he can become.
On a recent episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, Windhorst reported that the Lakers consistently said no when Reaves was inquired about in trade rumors.
"JJ has big plans for Austin Reaves. Not only that, when there were discussions with the Lakers this summer, when teams had discussions with them, it was a hard no. He was not available. One of the reasons he wasn't available: They want to keep him."
It's a simple report that gets straight to the point, but it's also a sign of tremendous organizational growth after what can only be described as a tumultuous 2023-24 season.
JJ Redick and the Lakers refuse to trade Austin Reaves
Reaves produced a career-year in 2023-24, setting career-best marks in almost every statistical category. He finished the regular season with averages of 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.9 three-point field goals made on .486/.367/.853 shooting.
Reaves also appeared in all 82 games for the Lakers, and was the unquestioned third-best player on the team during the postseason.
Unfortunately, Reaves was benched on November 10 and started just one of the next 26 games. It was a decision by former head coach Darvin Ham that reportedly alienated the locker room, per Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Fast forward 10 months and the Lakers have finally made a firm commitment to investing time and resources into Reaves' continued development as a player.
With the obvious caveat of excluding Davis and James, Reaves may be the Lakers' most important player. Not only has he been a strong postseason performer over the past two seasons, including a run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals, but he's playing on a remarkably team-friendly deal.
Reaves will receive $12,976,362 for the 2024-25 season, has $13,937,574 coming his way for the 2025-26 campaign, and has a player option at $14,898,786 for 2026-27.
Reaves has already outplayed the value of his annual salary, making the arrival of Redick all the more intriguing. Redick has spoken at length about how excited he is to coach the former Oklahoma Sooners star, and projects to be able to explore his untapped potential.
By finally committing to Reaves both on and off the court, the Lakers may see the best version of him at a fraction of the price his quality of play would command on the open market.