The Los Angeles Lakers could not be thanking their lucky stars any more after a certain turn of events led to their blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic, a deal that materialized out of nowhere. The arrival of Doncic means that the Lakers will have their superstar player for the next decade, allowing them to remain in contention even when LeBron James finally decides to hang it up.
Lately, however, Doncic hasn’t been the only one leading the Lakers to victory lane as they sit in third place at the moment in the West standings. Austin Reaves, who has done nothing but improve ever since being a part of the Purple and Gold in 2021, has blossomed even further and he has clearly taken another leap.
Reaves, however, might not be done growing as a player. Bill Simmons believes that there is even more room for Reaves to improve, touting the 26-year-old guard as someone who could conceivably average 25 points per game in the near future.
“I can’t believe how good [Reaves] is offensively to the point where he’s on a team with LeBron and Luka and not only does his coach think it’s a good idea to run stuff through Austin Reaves, but LeBron and Luka are like, ‘We should run stuff through Austin Reaves.’ That’s the level he’s at. I think he’s a potential 25 points a game scorer at some point in his career,” Simmons said on his eponymous podcast.
Bill Simmons believes Austin Reaves could average 25 PPG at some point in his career
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 7, 2025
In 28 games since the Lakers pulled off the unthinkable Doncic trade, Reaves is averaging 23.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 47/38/92 shooting splits — incredible stuff for any player, let alone an undrafted player plucked off the scrap heap in 2021.
Reaves is a legitimate fringe All-Star at present and if he takes another leap next year, don’t be surprised if the Lakers end up having three representatives in the All-Star Game in Los Angeles in 2026.
Austin Reaves has blossomed into an excellent player for the Lakers
Not too many people believed that Austin Reaves could become the player he is today for the Lakers. After all, he entered the league as a 23-year-old undrafted player whom the Lakers had to give plenty of minutes to due to their lack of depth during Russell Westbrook’s lone full season as a member of the Purple and Gold.
Reaves, however, has worked tirelessly at improving his game. He has become a master manipulator in the pick-and-roll, drawing fouls at an impressive rate, and he has even expanded his range from beyond the arc. It’s no coincidence that his scoring averages have improved with each passing season (7.0 in 2022, 13.0 in 2023, 15.9 in 2024, and 20.0 in 2025 thus far).
Perhaps as soon as next season, Reaves would average 25 for a Lakers team that, one would think, will be starting to prepare for life beyond LeBron James.
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