So the forgotten ex Austin Reaves is saving the Lakers season

With the regular season winding down and an incredibly tight West table, Austin Reaves he had providential timing to showcase the best basketball of his young career. Just in the moment of maximum urgency for the Los Angeles Lakers, without LeBron James for four weeks and with a minimal margin of error in the playoff race; and just before a summer in which the 24-year-old guard will be able to turn his excellent season, the second in the NBA, into a lucrative contract.

If the brilliant moves of the management close to the trade deadline they had given hope to the yellow-violet year, Reaves is the player who most of all, in the absence of LeBron, has taken a step forward to keep the flame burning. His 35 points, with only 14 shots from the field and 18 free shots, who dragged the Lakers against the Magic two weeks ago: a career-high underlined by the choirs “Mvp! Mvp!” of the Crypto Arena. Two nights later, another 25 points and 11 assists, and another vital success against the Suns. “Obviously I’m not an MVP player,” Reaves commented, “but that means so much to me.”

It couldn’t be otherwise, for a guy who after finishing college entered the league through the back door, like undrafted. His adventure in the NBA began by hearing sixty names called, but not his own, in the 2021 Draft, despite the interest expressed by some general managers for a mid/end second round call. Then it was the Lakers who gave him a chance, who quickly made one role player of luxury, above all considering the very advantageous contract (2.5 million dollars in two years) of which he is the holder.

On the pitch, he is the closest thing to the type of player that overseas like to define – starting with coach Darvin Ham – a Swiss Army knife, thanks to his ability to fulfill a wide range of responsibilities admirably, in both half and in contexts different. The product of Oklahoma is a solid and versatile defender, and at the same time a forward striker skillset particularly varied: in short, an excellent piece of a puzzle built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Merchandise as much in demand in the modern NBA as it is rare to be fished among the waste of the Draft.

In fact, there aren’t many undrafted who after a very short apprenticeship managed to carve out such a role for themselves, especially in a contender like the Lakers. They remember some memorable revenge by players snubbed and then become, each with his time, the key players in title teams. Ben Wallace, Bruce Bowen and Udonis Haslem between the 90s and 2000s, or more recently Fred VanVleet in Toronto: a club that the Lakers also dream of signing up for Austin Reaves.

Then, summer will come and with it the time to take care of his next contract. Mindful of the mistake made in the past with Alex Caruso, the goal of the yellow-purples is to keep him in California with a four-year contract worth around 50 million, and with the right to match the offers he will receive from other franchises. In any case, what Austin Reaves has ahead of him is a horizon that is still very distant for most of the sixty prospects called in his place on July 29, 2021.