Lakers Wise to Expand Austin Reaves' Role After New Contract Amid NBA Rumors in FA

The Los Angeles Lakers, "plan on running more of their offense through Reaves next season, unlocking the point guard skills he's flashed through his first two years in the league, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly," The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported.

That may seem like a "well, duh" report given the $56 million max contract the team agreed to with Reaves but his numbers late in the season, particularly during the Lakers' playoff run, suggests now is the time to expand his role in the offense.

Reaves learned and evolved as a player over the course of the season, a young, budding star clearly learning from veteran teammates LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Patrick Beverley.

It was apparent in his stat line, too.

From the regular to the playoffs, Reaves saw increases in his shooting percentages both beyond the arc and from the foul line, in rebounds, assists, and points. Perhaps most importantly, he saw his minutes rise from 28.8 to 36.2.

That is reflective of the coaching staff and his fellow players growing more confident in his ability to have a positive effect on the court in big moments.

As Reaves broke out and became a key contributor to the team, the Lakers as a whole became demonstrably better.

He was the spark, the young energy that the team needed to go on the run that it did because earlier in the regular season, the idea of the aging squad advancing to the Western Conference Finals was more of a pipedream than anything remotely close to reality.

The Lakers recognized that and rewarded Reaves, not only for what he has done but for what the team thinks he can do to help carry the organization into the future, beyond the days of James and Davis.

They did not give him a max contract because they hope he stays a nice, effective little role-player. The front office and coaching staff saw to it that the deal was done because they want Reaves to play a greater role in the offense as Los Angeles hopes to compete with Denver, Phoenix, Memphis, Utah and the Clippers moving forward.

Take some of the pressure off of James to do everything and create space for Davis to dominate in the paint. Embrace more ownership in the movement of the ball. The more Reaves is allowed to do that, the better off the Lakers will be, not just in the short-term but long after he assumes leadership of the team.