Lakers' Austin Reaves Says He Wants to 'Get Back' to PG Role After New LA Contract

Austin Reaves is ready to take on an increased role in the Los Angeles Lakers' offense.

Reaves told Jovan Buha of The Athletic that he hopes to step into more of a primary ball-handling role next season.

"I want to get back to playing point guard a little more and what we did at the end of the year. I feel comfortable and like I'm able to do that," Reaves said.

Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season while largely playing a secondary ball-handler role. He thrived for a stretch of games in March and April when the Lakers were riddled with injuries—most notably to LeBron James—while flashing an ability to guide an NBA offense.

The 25-year-old starred as a senior at Oklahoma when given the chance to lead the offense, averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists as a senior.

While it's unlikely the Lakers will take the keys to the offense from James and hand them to Reaves, they did get a preview of what a potential three-headed attack of James, Reaves and Anthony Davis could look like in the playoffs. Reaves emerged as the clear third option on offense during the Lakers' run to the Western Conference Finals, raising his stock to the point some were concerned he'd be lavished with a massive offer sheet in free agency.

Instead, Reaves chose to sign a four-year, $53.8 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final year of the contract. Even if Reaves never improves from the player he was last season, that deal will mark a significant bargain in a market where role players are regularly approaching $20 million per season.

If Reaves is able to take on a substantial role in the offense and become a true third star, his deal will quickly become the best in basketball.