Gone are the days of Austin Reaves having the best bang-for-your-buck contract in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers paid him like a franchise pillar, and then some. $180 million over four years calls for Reaves to be the definitive second star to Luka Doncic for the upcoming season.
I may be getting ahead of myself, though. That conversation is for the role and expectations section that will be coming up.
Nonetheless, there is only one player who has a bigger spotlight on him in Los Angeles than Reaves does this season. That would be his aforementioned running mate and best pal, Luka. This will leave many eagerly anticipating what 2026-27 could hold for the other Lakers star guard.
Austin Reaves' role and expectations with the Lakers in 2026-27
As alluded to above, Reaves is going to be thrust into the role of second option offensively on a full-time basis. There will be no more jostling with LeBron James for secondary touches behind Doncic. The Lakers guard is fully clear as the number two in command.
That will come with expectations of increased production. Luckily for everyone involved, that has been a constant for Reaves.
The Lakers star has increased his scoring production from the previous year in every season of his NBA career. Reaves should have a career high usage percentage in 2026-27, and with that, even more buckets should follow. There is real reason to believe in that if Austin adds the extra strength he wanted to put on over the summer, too.
If the Lakers do not want to take the tumble that some analysts are projecting, the secondary burden of that (beyond Doncic) falls on Reaves.
Stats and award predictions for Austin Reaves in 2026-27
So, what does another leap look like from a statistical standpoint for Reaves?
If you read the first article in this series, you will know that the exact numbers are viewed as a touch arbitrary here. It is more about getting that ballpark range pinned down.
In 16 regular season games without LeBron in 2025-26, Reaves posted 28.4 points, 7.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Not too shabby at all.
There is a much more diverse group of mouths to feed offensively on the Lakers this season. In light of that, perhaps 28-plus points is a touch ambitious to predict for next season. Reaves should definitely see an offensive increase, though.
Let us put the Lakers star guard in the ballpark of 26.0 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, 6.5 assists per game, and 1.0 steal per game as far as the major counting stats go.
Will that be good enough for accolades to follow? If the Lakers have a strong record, absolutely.
Reaves is as safe of a bet as anyone to make his first All-Star Game in 2026-27. In an absolute best-case scenario from a team standpoint, maybe he even pushes for an All-NBA Third Team. You can safely chalk up that first part as a definitive prediction here between the two.
The bottom line with Austin Reaves
Reaves has been ascending every year of his career. Eventually, the 28-year-old will hit a ceiling. However, that should not be next season.
The Lakers will certainly hope not as their financial investment in his future reflects the desire to see him take another step forward. It would be surprising if Reaves does not reward their faith.
Every opportunity that has come his way over recent years to play a more pivotal role in the offense has typically been met with increased production. The Lakers saw that and cleared the way for it in 2026-27. All-Star AR15 is what Los Angeles is banking on in the upcoming season.
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