The Los Angeles Lakers’ perimeter defensive core around ex-Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić and 21-time All-Star LeBron James received a boost this offseason when the franchise brought in 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart as a notable free agent addition.
Los Angeles’ point-of-attack defense still has plenty of question marks, with one of the most pertinent regarding their 27-year-old offensive-minded talent, Austin Reaves.
Reaves authored a magnificent season for the Lakers in 2024-25, as he contributed career-high’s across the board with 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 73 appearances.
While his ascent as a go-to scorer and play-maker had a positive impact on the team, one NBA writer claims that recent NBA history indicates Reaves might not have a spot on the roster much longer if he cannot improve as a defender.
“Having already won 50 games in 2024-25, there’s ample reason to believe the Lakers can build upon their success in 2025-26,” FanSided’s Maxwell Ogden wrote Wednesday.
“If the past three NBA champions have proven anything, however, it’s that Los Angeles will have a self-imposed ceiling until extension-eligible rising star Austin Reaves improves defensively.”
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“In the meantime, it will be difficult for the Lakers to justify handing Reaves a lucrative contract extension if he can’t match the defensive quality of the supporting guards who have won championships over the past three seasons.”
Reaves has the opportunity to decline his player option for the 2026-27 campaign to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026, and the Lakers could entertain the idea of moving on from the shifty shooting guard if he continues to produce negatively on the defensive side of the floor.
Despite racking up a career-best 1.1 steals this past season, Reaves also finished with a lackluster 117 defensive rating per 100 possessions and -0.5 defensive box plus-minus. In the 2025 postseason, both of those figures dropped to a horrid 120 and -2.0, respectively.
There’s no denying Reaves has developed into one of the most well-rounded tertiary options in the entire NBA, but a Dončić-led group must boast fantastic defensive personnel at all positions.
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