Austin Reaves is quietly having the kind of season that makes you double-check his contract just to make sure it’s real. He’s giving the Los Angeles Lakers 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game on 44.7% shooting from the field, all while being the third option on the team.
More importantly, every time one of their stars misses a game, Reaves doesn’t just blend in. He steps up, makes plays, and carries himself like a star. That’s why even guys like former Lakers shooting guard Nick Young are starting to pay attention.
Lately, Reaves has embraced the challenge of playing without LeBron James while also holding his own next to Luka Doncic. Young saw all that and decided to spark an intriguing debate, stacking up Reaves against Doncic’s former co-star Kyrie Irving.
“Right now at this stage… is [Austin Reaves] a better number two option than Kyrie?”
“Right now at this stage… is [Austin Reaves] a better number two option than Kyrie?”
– Nick Young
(
@GilsArenaShow / h/t @kyriecenterig )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 19, 2025
