When LeBron James went down with a foot injury in late February, the Lakers were three games below .500, sitting just outside of the Play-In Tournament picture. How was Los Angeles supposed to survive with James sidelined?
By handing the ball to the team's other star, of course. No, not Anthony Davis — we're talking about Austin Reaves.
The 24-year-old has been a revelation over the last few weeks, increasing his production and helping the Lakers avoid a huge drop in the Western Conference standings. He has also put himself in position to earn a big payday.
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Austin Reaves steps up after Lakers lose LeBron James
Reaves has shown the ability to fit in the rotation as a role player since he joined Los Angeles in 2021. During this current stretch without James, though, he has taken on more responsibility in terms of offensive creation.
His scoring and assist numbers in his last 11 games are up compared to his season averages, and he is getting to the free throw line at nearly the same rate as DeMar DeRozan. Reaves told reporters that he studied James Harden and Trae Young in order to learn how to successfully draw fouls, and those film sessions are clearly paying off.
| Stats | 2022-23 season | Feb. 28-March 19 |
| PPG | 12.0 | 17.7 |
| RPG | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| APG | 2.9 | 5.3 |
| FG% | 51.8 | 56.4 |
| 3PT FG% | 38.0 | 39.5 |
| FT% | 85.4 | 82.5 |
| FG-FGA | 3.8-7.3 | 5.2-9.2 |
| FT-FTA | 3.3-3.8 | 6.0-7.3 |
Reaves' recent surge hit a crescendo on Sunday night when he scored a career-high 35 points (9-of-14 on field goals, 16-of-18 on free throws) in a 111-105 win over the Magic. He put his full arsenal of skills on display, scoring off the dribble, finding open teammates and frustrating Orlando with his foul-drawing techniques.
The man affectionately known as "Hillbilly Kobe" earned MVP chants from the Crypto.com Arena crowd and plenty of fire emojis from James.
Austin Reaves. HOOPER.
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2023
35 PTS (career-high)
6 REB
6 AST
W
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📲 https://t.co/EfGWQh0QrC pic.twitter.com/LfQWI6uGTM
"You put the ball in his hands. You see him making things happen, so you allow him to initiate," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "Not only can he score, he does a great job of finding his teammates as well. And he's a smart, smart, high IQ basketball player, so he's gonna make the right play, whether that play is for himself or his teammate or just making the pass that sets up the scoring pass."
Will Austin Reaves sign new contract with Lakers in free agency?
After going undrafted in 2021, Reaves signed a two-way contract with the Lakers. That deal was then converted to a standard contract, but he certainly isn't raking in the big bucks at the moment. He will be looking for a significant offer this summer.
Los Angeles can present Reaves with a four-year, $50 million contract for a reasonable average of $12.5 million per season through 2026-27. The front office also has the ability to match outside offers because Reaves will be a restricted free agent.
However, a suitor could make the decision more difficult for the Lakers by submitting a "poison pill" contract that is backloaded in Years 3 and 4. Spotrac's Keith Smith broke down multiple free agency scenarios, including one in which another team could force Los Angeles to match the salary structure below (four years, $80 million) in order to keep Reaves.
| Season | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
| Reaves' salary | $11.4 million | $11.9 million | $27.7 million | $29.0 million |
Would a general manager be willing to go that high? Maybe not, but Reaves is a young guard with solid skills who has room for improvement. One aggressive offer could completely change the dynamic.
Still, the most likely outcome is Reaves re-signing with the Lakers. Both sides have interest in a new deal, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, which is hardly a surprise considering how he has performed.
