Austin Reaves has spoken publicly about the Lakers’ overhaul in remarks published by The Sporting News. He said “it’s tough to see those guys go,” naming James, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, and said the new arrivals are good people and smart basketball players.
Reaves said the relationships he built with those players were real both on and off the court. He also said he is excited about the current roster. Deandre Ayton was also let go in the turnover.
James told the Lakers he would not return after eight seasons, and he later joined the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Reaves had already agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal with the Lakers, securing his spot as a franchise building block alongside Luka Dončić. Hachimura signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers on July 6, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania also reported that the Clippers offered minimal cash as the Lakers expected draft capital when the teams discussed a sign-and-trade.
At media day on Sept. 28, Reaves said he does not plan to copy anyone’s leadership style. He told reporters, “I’m not going to lead the same way Bron does,” and said he expects to lead through more one-on-one conversations, per NBC Los Angeles.
Reaves Is Now the Lakers’ Link to the James Era
Reaves spent the first five seasons of his NBA career alongside James. That makes him the main connection between the old Lakers locker room and the new one, and his comments read like someone stepping into that job. He talked about the players who left in personal terms, but he spent his praise on the newcomers’ character. That fits a front office that chose to start over around him and Dončić rather than keep the old group together.
The Hachimura negotiation shows how far the Lakers were willing to go. They let a rotation forward sign with a crosstown rival rather than take cash back in a sign-and-trade. The team’s $185 million commitment to Reaves now has to cover for the continuity it gave up everywhere else.
Hachimura and the Clippers Visit Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 23
The Lakers start their preseason tonight, Oct. 5, at Sacramento. Hachimura is already playing for his new team: he scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds in only 15 minutes in the Clippers’ preseason opener. His first game back against his former team is set for Oct. 23, when the Clippers visit Crypto.com Arena two days after the Lakers open the regular season against the Golden State Warriors.
Source: The Sporting News
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