Going into 2026-27, Austin Reaves is the undisputed No. 2 option for the Los Angeles Lakers behind Luka Doncic, and that will change the expectations around him once again. He averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 ******* ists, and 4.7 rebounds last season while shooting 49.0% from the field, 36.0% from three, and 87.1% from the line, and those numbers don't really show how good he looked before injuries started derailing his season.
Before a left calf strain forced him to miss 19 straight games, Reaves was averaging 26.1 points, 6.0 ******* ists, and 5.2 rebounds and looked like he was heading toward his first All-Star selection. The injury basically killed that chance, and later physical problems limited him to only 51 games overall. Now LeBron James isn't taking a huge share of the offense anymore, the Lakers gave Reaves a four-year, $180 million contract, and there really isn't any doubt about his importance to the team.
An All-Star appearance should be the first goal, but an NBA award isn't impossible either. MVP isn't happening with Doncic on the same roster, Defensive Player of the Year obviously isn't his game, and Sixth Man of the Year doesn't fit somebody getting paid more than $40.0 million per season to start. Most Improved Player and Clutch Player of the Year are much more interesting if Reaves jumps into the 26.0 or 27.0 PPG range, improves as a creator, and helps the Lakers finish at the top of the West.
Reaves also wouldn't be the first undrafted player to get some individual hardware. The list is actually pretty short, which shows how hard it is to go from being out of the league on draft night to becoming one of the best players in the NBA.
Already a known NBA player by the time he won Sixth Man of the Year, John Starks went undrafted in 1988 out of Oklahoma State, had a short first stint with the Warriors, and eventually earned his big chance with the Knicks. By the middle of the 1990s, he had already become an All-Star, an All-Defensive player, and one of the most important guards on a contender.
#year
Before a left calf strain forced him to miss 19 straight games, Reaves was averaging 26.1 points, 6.0 ******* ists, and 5.2 rebounds and looked like he was heading toward his first All-Star selection. The injury basically killed that chance, and later physical problems limited him to only 51 games overall. Now LeBron James isn't taking a huge share of the offense anymore, the Lakers gave Reaves a four-year, $180 million contract, and there really isn't any doubt about his importance to the team.
An All-Star appearance should be the first goal, but an NBA award isn't impossible either. MVP isn't happening with Doncic on the same roster, Defensive Player of the Year obviously isn't his game, and Sixth Man of the Year doesn't fit somebody getting paid more than $40.0 million per season to start. Most Improved Player and Clutch Player of the Year are much more interesting if Reaves jumps into the 26.0 or 27.0 PPG range, improves as a creator, and helps the Lakers finish at the top of the West.
Reaves also wouldn't be the first undrafted player to get some individual hardware. The list is actually pretty short, which shows how hard it is to go from being out of the league on draft night to becoming one of the best players in the NBA.
Already a known NBA player by the time he won Sixth Man of the Year, John Starks went undrafted in 1988 out of Oklahoma State, had a short first stint with the Warriors, and eventually earned his big chance with the Knicks. By the middle of the 1990s, he had already become an All-Star, an All-Defensive player, and one of the most important guards on a contender.
#year
4 days ago
