Austin Reaves discussed leadership, the Lakers’ revamped roster and his partnership with Luka Doncic during Los Angeles’ media day on Monday, September 28, as he prepares for his sixth NBA season.
With LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and several other veterans no longer on the roster, Reaves is now the Lakers’ longest-tenured player. He said the transition has made leadership an important part of his role, but he intends to approach it in his own way.
“I’m not someone that’s going to sit out here and scream at people,” Reaves said. “I like to talk to people one-on-one, have real conversation.”
Reaves explained that he prefers pulling teammates aside during practices and discussing what he sees and how they can improve rather than addressing mistakes publicly.
The departure of longtime teammates has also made the offseason emotional, although Reaves said he is excited about the new group.
“Being around guys for years, Bron, Rui, Jaxson, you know, it’s tough to see those guys go,” Reaves said. “You build real relationships with them on and off the court. And, you know, that part of it sucks, but the guys that we brought in are high character guys that know the game of basketball.”
Reaves also acknowledged that he cannot simply replicate the leadership styles of either James or Doncic.
“I’m not going to lead the same way Bron does. I’m not going to lead the same way Luka does,” he said. “I think you just got to be true to yourself and do what’s comfortable for you.”
The 28-year-old also discussed the expectations that come with playing for the Lakers, particularly now that he has become one of the franchise’s longest-tenured players.
“The expectation here being a Laker is higher than it is anywhere in the world,” Reaves said. “One second you’re going to be the best team in the world and the next you lose two in a row and you’re the worst team. You can’t figure it out.”
For Reaves, helping younger and newer teammates navigate that environment will be part of his responsibility.
“The main thing is helping these guys to understand that none of that really matters. It’s all about what goes on in these walls,” he said.
Reaves also addressed his relationship with Doncic, saying the two discussed continuing their partnership even before the previous season ended. Their offseason work included spending time together in Slovenia, where the Lakers guard said the group had an opportunity to build chemistry away from basketball.
Reaves believes that chemistry can translate into a more versatile offense. He said the Lakers will be able to use more actions involving both guards as ball handlers and screeners instead of relying exclusively on pick-and-rolls.
“We’re going to be able to play more, I think, free-flowing basketball,” Reaves said. “It’s not going to have to be pick and roll every single possession.”
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games for the Lakers in 2025-26, shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range. He signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Los Angeles in July.
On the new team’s expected growing pains, Reaves emphasized patience.
“We’re a very new team to one another,” he said. “There’s going to be some growing periods where things aren’t going the way that we want them to go, but that doesn’t change the goal at the end of the day.”
