Austin Reaves has seen plenty of changes during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, and now he’s offering some advice to the team’s newest arrivals.
The 28-year-old enters the 2026–27 season as the longest-tenured player on the Lakers’ roster, despite only joining the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2021.
With nine new teammates arriving this offseason, Reaves has taken on a different role as Los Angeles prepares for its first full season with a roster built around him and Luka Dončić.
Speaking after the Lakers’ preseason finale, Reaves explained what his new teammates should expect when representing one of the NBA’s most heavily scrutinized franchises.
“I don’t know anything else. This is what I came to,” Reaves said, according to Lakers Nation. “But, obviously, it’s the Lakers and it’s one of the most covered sports organizations in the world, so they’re going to praise you when you’re doing good and not when you’re no. Whatever goes on outside these walls doesn’t really matter. It’s just what you know goes on inside these walls and if anybody has any questions, I’ll give them the best knowledge I have.”
Reaves’ message comes after a major offseason overhaul that saw the Lakers use their available cap space to reshape the roster around their two stars.
Of the 15 players on Los Angeles’ roster, nine will be wearing a Lakers jersey for the first time this season.
Reaves, meanwhile, enters the first year of a four-year, $185 million contract, cementing his place as a key part of the franchise’s future.
The upcoming season will also be a new experience for Reaves, who will play without LeBron James for the first time in his NBA career.
James departed Los Angeles during the offseason to join the Philadelphia 76ers for his 24th NBA season, ending his partnership with Reaves after five years.
Reaves has previously admitted that seeing James in another team’s uniform feels strange, according to Lakers Nation.
With a new-look roster and increased expectations surrounding Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers will enter the season facing plenty of attention.
And as the team’s longest-serving player, Reaves knows better than most what comes with wearing the purple and gold.
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