Austin Reaves New Lakers Contract Shouldn't Be a Lock Amid Playoff Struggles, NBA Rumors

Austin Reaves has been a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2021, even surpassing LeBron James as the clear No. 2 on the team for the majority of this season.

While re-signing him would seemingly be a slam dunk following a season of career highs in the regular season, his shortcomings in this year's playoffs should be cause for hesitation on the organization's part.

Reaves is averaging five points less in the postseason than he did in the regular season and has not looked like the same player through the team's three losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Through his five appearances, he has averaged just 18.7 points and is shooting just 38.7 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from beyond the arc. He has been the topic of conversation across social media as much for getting after officials for perceived uncalled fouls as his actual play on the hardwood, and therein lies the problem.

With Luka Doncic out, Reaves has performed up to expectations. Sure, he is fresh off an injury that kept him out of the Rockets series but when an organization is contemplating whether to throw a lot of money at a star they hope to be a building block for the organization moving forward, there is a reasonable expectation that they will find that next gear and perform up to the moment.

Fair or not given the circumstances, Reaves is going to be judged based on his performances when they matter most, both by fans and management alike.

Thus far, with the exception of a 31-point showing against the Thunder in Game 2, there has not been enough for Reaves to hang his hat on from a postseason performance perspective.

If he can somehow drag the Lakers out of the 0-3 hole the team finds itself in and will them to one of the most improbably comebacks in NBA Playoffs history, it becomes a different story.

For now, the Lakers front office will have to determine when Reaves' performance in the regular season, when he was undeniably one of the two best, most consistent players on the roster, is enough to warrant the deal he will expect or if it may need to consider looking elsewhere for the Robin to Doncic's Batman.