Austin Reaves Faces Uncertain Future With Lakers After Luka Doncic Injury

Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a crushing blow after it was announced yesterday that star point guard Luka Doncic will be sidelined indefinitely. 

Doncic, 27, went down in Thursday’s game against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. He began hobbling and then reached for his hamstring in visible pain. The Lakers feared the worst at that moment.

The L.A. star has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, a testy injury that often takes over a month to heal.

Doncic’s injury came at arguably the most inopportune time for the Lakers, whose surge since mid-February has allowed them to hold the third seed over the last few weeks in a tight Western Conference. 

The franchise is hopeful for the best-case scenario regarding Doncic’s return, but with minimal regular season runway and the first round of the playoffs set for exactly two weeks from today, expecting Doncic to be ready for the first game of the postseason is purely fantasy.

Perhaps the best outcome is Doncic returning sometime in the second round. But remember, Los Angeles will have to get through an entire series before they can even get there. 

As things stand today, the Lakers would play the Minnesota Timberwolves — whom they lost to in just five games in the opening round of last year’s playoffs — in the first round. 

With five regular season games to go, the team has a ton of sorting out to do, and it’ll start with who has been the second-best player on the roster this season.

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Austin Reaves suddenly facing sky-high stakes in light of Doncic’s injury

The Lakers haven’t only relied on one dominant scorer; the other is Reaves, who is having the best year of his career. 

The fifth-year pro is averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 49.0% shooting overall and 36.0% from 3-point range. 

Reaves has emerged as an elite second-option to Doncic. The duo has been the engine of one of the league’s most explosive offenses. With Doncic’s dominance on the ball and Reaves’ ability to move without it, the fit has been harmonious between the two stars. Their flourishing chemistry has also allowed LeBron James to get more comfortable as he’s settled into the role as a prototypical slasher. 

But now, things are going to have to change some.

Doncic is out of the equation, meaning Reaves, the second-option, is perhaps going to be inserted by head coach JJ Redick as the first scoring-option on moving forward. 

The 27-year-old Lakers star has displayed immense bucket-getting ability in the games he’s played without Doncic or James, or even both. 

In 10 games without Doncic in the lineup this season, Reaves is averaging 28.6 points per game on 50.3% shooting from the floor. Four of those 10 games saw Reaves rattle off at least 35 points, including games of  41, 44 and 51 points. 

It’s safe to say the Lakers aren’t ready to give Reaves a pass because Doncic has gotten hurt. 

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So … what is the harsh reality Reaves is facing?

This summer, Reaves is expected to decline his nearly $15 player-option and enter unrestricted free agency. If he does, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Lakers guard is looking to change teams, he’ll likely explore the market to see the kind of contract offers out there for him.

L.A. is firmly expected to offer Reaves a new deal in the ballpark of over $215 million. 

However, Doncic’s injury could either make Reaves’ future or throw a serious wrench into it. 

With the increased offensive load in high stakes playoff games, Reaves has the opportunity to play well and consequently increase his power  to demand more money in the offseason, whether that’s from the Lakers or another team. 

Inversely, a poor postseason stretch could greatly drop Reaves’ stock and the amount of money teams are willing to offer him. 

Not only does Reaves have the pressure to perform from the fans’ standpoint, he could arguably make or break his next contract depending on how he plays over the next few weeks.

Reaves will need some contributions from James, but the 41-year-old is the oldest player in the NBA and not the supernova he was 10 years ago. The younger Lakers star will surely be asked to do more. 

If Reaves has big money on his mind, now is the time to pave the way for it.

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