There’s an under-talked about variable for the Lakers.
It’s hard to measure. It won’t appear in box scores. It’s invisible yet omnipresent.
It’s leadership — and not from who you may think.
While the Lakers are unequivocally Luka Doncic’s team, someone else’s voice needs to boom in the locker room in order for them to be successful.
Austin Reaves’ most important contribution next season won’t be his dagger 3s or his crafty pick-and-roll playmaking, though those are deeply necessary too.
In order for the Lakers to be successful, Reaves needs to become a leader.
Austin Reaves drives down court as Patty Mills and James Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets give chase during a game at Barclays Center on Jan. 25, 2022. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
The thing about Reaves is he’s deeply likable. After the Lakers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2021, he immediately won over reporters at media day by joking about his nickname “Hillbilly Kobe.”
As soon as he entered the Lakers locker room, he won over LeBron James.
Reaves would make bleating noises whenever James spoke to the media to imitate a goat (because James is considered one of the greatest players of all-time). James would shoot him a look and laugh.
A similar thing happened after the Mavericks stunned the basketball world by trading Doncic to the Lakers in February 2025. Reaves and Doncic started lovingly teasing each other, interrupting one another during their on-camera interviews and trash-talking each other.
Their brotherly bond was so strong — on and off the court — that Doncic let Lakers’ brass know that they needed to retain Reaves when he opted out of his $14.9 million player option this summer.
The Lakers went on to sign Reaves to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract ever for a player who went undrafted.
Reaves is a human chemistry creator. His teammates respect him for his palpable competitiveness, but they also love him for the levity he brings.
It’s striking.
So much so that Warriors coach Steve Kerr brought up Reaves, unprovoked, when asked last season what characteristics he values most in a player.
“I coached him in the World Cup,” Kerr said of Reaves in April. “I watch the Lakers. You can tell that everybody loves playing with him. He’s a competitor. He loves the game. Hard to find those qualities all the time, frankly, especially for somebody who has a lot of skill. Steph [Curry] you can find that.”
Austin Reaves goes up for a shot as Brooklyn Nets’ Day’ron Sharpe defends him during a game on Feb. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin / NY Post
Reaves took major leaps on the court last season. In October, he had back-to-back 51-point and 41-point performances. In a game against Denver in March, he purposely missed a free throw, caught his own rebound and then made a buzzer-beating floater, helping spark what would end up being a 15-2 run that month.
Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points on 49% shooting (36% from deep), 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season.
This season, his biggest focus needs to be growing his leadership the same way he has grown his game.
See, Doncic is the type of guy who leads by example. He pours his heart out on the court. But he’s not exactly a talker.
Reaves needs to assume that role.
He has had plenty of time to study for it. Reaves played alongside James for five seasons. He saw how he managed a team.
Now it’s up to him to become a vocal leader. Apparently, he has already begun assuming that role.
Austin Reaves dribbles against Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 11, 2026. Getty Images
“Since the guys have been back, Austin has been the leader in the gym every single day,” Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Thursday.
It’s a good sign.
Because the Lakers’ success is going to hinge on so much more than Doncic’s offensive production or Walker Kessler’s ability to get stops.
The Lakers have so many new players. They lost James. They’re going through a major transition.
And Reaves is going to need to lead them through it.
Not only does he need to play like a borderline All-Star for the Lakers to be competitive, but he needs to morph into their glue guy.
He has the likability aspect down cold.
Now he needs to use it to motivate guys during a marathon season.
He’s needs to make his superpower translate into wins.
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