Austin Reaves is heading into a very different Lakers season, and he’s not hiding how much the changes have hit him.
Los Angeles has spent the 2026-27 offseason tearing things down and reshaping the roster around Luka Doncic. LeBron James is gone.
So are Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes. For Reaves, who has spent his entire NBA career with the Lakers after going undrafted, that’s a lot of familiar faces walking out the door at once.
“Really excited about what we have. Being around guys for years- Bron, Rui, Jaxson- you know, it’s tough to see those guys go.
You build real relationships with them on and off the court. That part of it sucks, but the guys that we brought in are high-character guys who know the game of basketball, good people off the court,” Reaves declared.
Reaves entered the league in 2021, after the Lakers had already dismantled their championship core. His role grew as he played alongside Anthony Davis and James, then he watched Davis get traded for Doncic in a massive reset. A year and a half later, James left in free agency for the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving Reaves as one of the main holdovers in what’s now a very different group.
The Lakers have also been active in bringing in new pieces. Walker Kessler arrived in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, while Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili also joined the mix. Jaden Hardy came over in a trade with the Washington Wizards for Ayton.
That turnover has left Reaves adjusting to a new locker room, but he says the early chemistry is already there. The trip to Slovenia during the offseason helped speed that process along.
“And like I said, going to Slovenia was a good opportunity for us all to get to know each other and continue moving forward to build that every single day. So, it’ll be fun," the Lakers guard added.
There’s still plenty unsettled about how the Lakers will look once the season starts. The biggest question is how they replace the production and presence James brought, and whether Kessler can become the kind of center people think he can be. For now, though, Reaves is focused on a roster that already feels connected in JJ Redick’s system.
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Curry helped make sure the night had some edge for the Lakers, too. He played 14 minutes and scored 16 points as Golden State rolled to a 124-98 win, giving the game a little more weight than a typical tune-up. The teams will meet again in the regular season on October 21, when the stakes will be real and the Lakers will get their first chance to respond. [Read more 🡒]