The Los Angeles Lakers will start their season without their superstar forward, LeBron James. James will miss what LA hopes is only a quarter of the season, or less, with sciatica on his right side, which he suffered a little over two months ago.
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Missing James will certainly put a huge wrench in LA to start the season, with their lone superstar being five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic. However, while it’s a massive blow for Los Angeles, fellow star guard Austin Reaves will be looked upon to carry the load alongside Doncic.
Reaves has improved each and every season. His fifth NBA season could be his biggest yet.
The 26-year-old is the Lakers’ third-best player, and while he has taken his game to new heights, some are skeptical about whether Reaves can be a big piece on a championship team, including former NBA guard Evan Turner.
Turner was blunt in his comments about Reaves with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix on the latter’s “Open Floor Podcast.”
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“You have Austin Reaves, he’s very talented, but if you’re talking championship aspirations, that can’t be your third best,” said Turner.
“There has to be a secret weapon or a sixth man killer.”
In the podcast, Mannix was more concerned with Reaves’ fit alongside Doncic.
“I think there is a question about the fit of Austin Reaves with Luka Doncic there handling the ball as much as he is,” Chris Mannix added.
There are certainly questions about whether Reaves and Doncic can fit in the long haul, but it is fair to question whether Reaves can be a top player for a championship team. That has yet to be the case, and this season will tell us a lot.
A Turning Point Season for Austin Reaves
It is not only a massive season for the Lakers but also for Reaves personally. The Arkansas native will likely be an unrestricted free agent next summer and could command north of $30 million annually, if all goes well.
Reaves has established himself as a top 50 player in the league today, but whether he can be a driving force for a title-contending team remains to be seen.
We’ll get the first look at Reaves and the Lakers on Oct. 21 when they host the Golden State Warriors for the 2025-26 season opener.