Nov 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) moves the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Austin Reaves begins the 2026-27 NBA season in a unique position. He is on the first year of his third contract, a four-year, $185 million near-max deal. But somehow, the sixth-year player is also the longest-tenured member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed with the franchise as an undrafted free agent back in the summer of 2021, and the roster has completely turned over around him since.
This year alone, Reaves has nine new teammates on the 15-man roster, as the Lakers utilized their cap space to bring in a new group that they felt was better suited to play alongside Reaves and Luka Doncic. With that comes nine players who have never been in a Lakers jersey before, and Reaves is the veteran in the room to tell them what it’s like. He gave advice to his teammates on donning the purple and gold.
“I don’t know anything else. This is what I came to,” Reaves said after the Lakers’ preseason finale. “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 being the longest-tenured player shows just how much the Lakers have committed to rebuilding their roster around their star duo. And now, Reaves can be the elder statesman when it comes to playing for one of sports’ most talked-about franchises.
Reaves’ knowledge will be useful to his teammates when it comes to getting through the narratives that pop up over the course of an 82-game regular season. Whether the team is winning or losing, they will be talked about, and Reaves will need to be the one to show them the ropes on how to not ride those highs or lows.
Austin Reaves reacted to seeing LeBron James playing elsewhere
In addition to being the longest-tenured Laker in his sixth season, Reaves is also playing his first NBA season without LeBron James on his roster. The all-time great opted to leave the Lakers and play his 24th NBA campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Reaves admitted seeing that is weird to him.
“I already saw him in preseason and almost texted him that he looks crazy,” Reaves said of James. “It’s definitely different, but that’s my guy and I wish him nothing but the best and I’ll definitely watch the game tonight.”
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Ron Gutterman is a Washington State University alum from Anaheim, California, and is currently a Staff Writer for LakersNation.com, RamsNewsWire.com, and RaidersNewsWire.com. He is also the lead editor for AngelsNation.com. With Lakers Nation, Rams News Wire, Raiders News Wire, and Angels Nation, Ron assists in news, game coverage, analysis, and hot takes via his Twitter account, @rongutterman24. Without a doubt, Ron's favorite Laker, and favorite athlete of all time, is Kobe Bryant. Ron began watching basketball when he was 6 years old, in 2005, when Bryant was dragging the likes of Smush Parker and Ronny Turiaf to playoff spots. Ron's all time favorite Lakers moment was Bryant's final game when he dropped 60 points. While the Lakers beating the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, as Metta World Peace hit the game clinching three, will always be a top option, Bryant's final night takes the cake. Contact: ron@mediumlargela.com