Austin Reaves Ready to Run It Back With LeBron and Lakers

Austin Reaves isn’t waiting around to see what happens next—he’s already signaling his commitment to the Los Angeles Lakers and, more significantly, his willingness to build a future alongside LeBron James. After the Purple and Gold’s disappointing Western Conference Semifinals sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the upcoming free agent made his intentions clear: he wants another shot with the King in tow.

At 27 years old, Reaves is coming off his best statistical season yet, averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Those numbers alone make him an attractive target in free agency. He’s expected to decline his player option and test the market, meaning multiple teams will come calling with serious offers. But here’s the thing—it sounds like he’d rather stay put than chase a bigger paycheck elsewhere. That kind of loyalty in the modern NBA is rarer than a playoff series win for the Lakers this postseason.

The elephant in the room, though, is LeBron James. There are significant question marks swirling around his next move. Will he stay? Will he opt out? Does age finally catch up with him? Reaves is essentially betting that LeBron will still be a Laker when he signs his next deal, which tells you something about his confidence in the franchise’s direction—and maybe his faith in what they can build if everyone stays healthy.

Speaking of health, that’s the real story nobody wants to admit. The Lakers were ravaged by injuries this postseason, with both Luka Dončić and Reaves himself dealing with significant ailments. It’s the ultimate what-if: how different would that OKC series have looked with a fully operational roster? Instead of analyzing a sweep, we’d probably be talking about championship contention. That gap between potential and reality is exactly why Reaves sounds so eager to run it back. He knows what this team could be—and he wants to be the one there when they finally get it right.