The Los Angeles Lakers season has come to a disappointing finish. After a miraculous turnaround to make it into the 2023 NBA Playoffs and a run at the NBA Finals, the Lakers met a buzzsaw in the Denver Nuggets. On Monday night the Nuggets completed a sweep of the Lakers with a 113-111 victory, sending Los Angeles into the offseason. Despite the less than ideal finish, the Lakers faithful have much to be proud and excited about. A primary aspect of that excitement emanates from the arrival of Austin Reaves. After dazzling Lakers fans in the regular season, Reaves bursted onto the national scene in the postseason. Looking ahead to the offseason, Reaves is going to become an unrestricted free agent. With his play and how he captured the hearts of Lakers nation, Los Angeles must re-sign Austin Reaves this summer.
Austin Reaves was the third leading scorer for the Lakers in the 2023 NBA Playoffs at 16.9 points per game. Not only was he a dependable scorer, but he showed the ability to be a highly productive and efficient playmaker as well. He averaged 4.6 assists per contest and had the highest assist to turnover ratio on the team of 2.9. He shot 46.4% from the field and an elite 44.3% from the 3-point line, the second highest mark on the Lakers behind Rui Hachimura while averaging many more attempts than the Lakers forward. Overall, Austin Reaves showed that he can be a pivotal part of the Lakers future, and they would be wise to retain him in free agency this summer.
There are multiple reasons why the Lakers must bring back Reaves this summer, however three stand out in particular. Here are those three reasons why the Lakers must re-sign Austin Reaves at any cost in free agency.
*Stats via ESPN
Age
Austin Reaves is only 24-years-old and saw consistent minutes for the first time in his NBA career this year. For a player that was seemingly just thrown into the spotlight, he shined. With so much postseason experience now already under his belt, not to mention experience where he thrived, Reaves looks like he could have a limitless ceiling. Over the next few seasons, his development should ascend at a rapid pace, and it would be no surprise to see his bag grow exponentially. The Lakers would be ill-advised to not see that happen in Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves displayed an ability to impact the game at multiple levels. Yes, he is a very capable scorer, but his passing and playmaking ability is what really stood out for the Lakers. Additionally, he looked really comfortable running the offense and played at an elite pace in the pick-and-roll game. Quite frankly, he played well beyond his years, exercising a tempo that looked effortless. Showing this at such a young time in his playing career projects big things for his future. The Lakers need to re-sign Austin Reaves in free agency and reap the benefits of developing him into his prime.
Chemistry with LeBron James
LeBron James made some ominous comments about his future playing career after the Lakers got swept by the Nuggets. However, many are assuming it was just a power play to make sure the Lakers do what they can to build a championship roster for next season and entice James to continue playing; keeping Austin Reaves would pay dividends in doing so. The aforementioned pick-and-roll game between LeBron and Reaves was beautiful to watch, as both play with a high IQ and understood what the other would be doing without communicating. James was public about how he knew Reaves would turn into a really good player, and it was clear that he enjoys playing with him. If the Lakers want to bring back LeBron James, they need to bring back Austin Reaves.
Austin Reaves was the most consistent player for the Lakers in the postseason and by a pretty wide margin. At this point in LeBron's career, he has no interest in playing for anything but championships, a big reason he is hinting at retirement. Austin Reaves is the type of player that fits on a championship team, as he knows how to play winning basketball. Bringing back Reaves would cement to LeBron that the Lakers are serious about winning another title while James is still in Los Angeles. It is simple that the Lakers must re-sign Austin Reaves if they want to keep the King.
D'Angelo Russell's struggles
D'Angelo Russell wilted when the lights got brighter and the pressure mounted in the Denver Nuggets series. While Reaves didn't, Russell showed that he cannot be depended upon in the clutch moments. If the Lakers want a point guard they can rely on to help them secure a bid into the NBA Finals next year, they would think twice about giving that opportunity back to D'Angelo Russell. Re-signing Austin Reaves in free agency and giving him a chance to be the primary guard is the best recipe for winning basketball in the future.
Russell is by no means a bad player, as in fact he is one of the more skilled scorers in the NBA. However, his scoring ability is overshadowed by his propensity for mental errors, turnovers, and his struggles on the defensive end. Austin Reaves plays at a level above Russell due to his natural understanding of the game, something that seems to evade Russell in the clutch moments. The Lakers need to re-sign Austin Reaves in free agency and realize that D'Angelo Russell is not a championship point guard.
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