Last year, Austin Reaves enjoyed a career-best campaign, averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. But a pair of separate injuries interrupted his season. He was limited to 51 regular-season games (and missed four playoff outings), missed out on an All-Star berth and was ineligible for an All-NBA nod, both of which were very plausible had he stayed healthy.
As he enters 2026-27 equipped with a new, four-year, $184 million contract, Reaves understands how much attention must be
devoted to taking care of his body — a lesson learned from his former teammate, LeBron James, whom he spent the first five years of his career playing alongside.
“I think that’s one of the biggest things I learned from LeBron was what he did every single day to give himself the opportunity to still play this game at the highest level,” Reaves told reporters during Monday’s media day. “There’s a lot more that goes into it than the casual fan sees. You have to do more every single day and especially the older that you get. He’s a perfect example of that. We’ve had a really good summer, put myself in a really good spot going into this year.”
Dan Woike of The Athletic also reported former Lakers strength coach Ed Streit will be Reaves’ dedicated trainer this season.
Reaves is entering the prime of his career and should seriously contend for All-Star appearances and All-NBA honors, if he can stay healthy. He’s a dynamite creator, adept off-ball scorer and talented passer who thrives at all three levels and draws fouls.
Based on Monday’s comments, how he’s described his approach to the offseason and the decision to have his own trainer, it seems he fully understands the lengths he has to go to remain on the court.
Reaves and Luka Dončić are among the league’s most dynamic backcourts and the foundation of any success the Los Angeles Lakers will accomplish this season, particularly on offense (where they should be very, very good). To do so, though, they each have to play more than they did in 2025-26. It appears both recognize that and have dialed up the diligence to ensure they will be moving forward.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
