Rob Pelinka Explains Why Austin Reaves Is Central to Lakers’ Future

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka praised Austin Reaves’ work ethic and championship mindset as the team officially secured the rising guard’s long-term future.

Feb 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) dribbles by Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) as Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) looks on in the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers made the re-signing of rising star Austin Reaves official. The 28-year-old guard inked a four-year, $185 million contract, securing his future alongside superstar Luka Doncic and center Walker Kessler.

In the press release announcing the re-signing of Reaves, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka praised Reaves’ “relentless pursuit for improvement” while calling him a “cornerstone” for the team in its efforts to win a championship moving forward.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Praises Austin Reaves for Work Ethic and Determination

Rob Pelinka on Austin Reaves: "Austin's relentless pursuit of improvement, fierce competitiveness and commitment to winning have made him an integral part of our organization. From the moment he joined the Lakers, Austin has embodied the work ethic and selfless approach that…

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 12, 2026

With Reaves in place and the team recently acquiring Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, the Lakers’ future is starting to come together, as the team has undergone a massive roster overhaul while getting much younger in the process.

Before the team agreed to terms with veteran center Kevon Looney (30), Reaves was the oldest player on the roster, which is pretty crazy considering he was on the other end of the spectrum on last year’s team.

Reaves is coming off a career year with the Lakers, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.

Lakers Officially Sign Collin Sexton

Along with making the signing of Reaves official, the team also announced the signing of guard Collin Sexton. 

Lakers make it official that they’ve signed Collin Sexton pic.twitter.com/l3svWzv6UO

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 12, 2026

The veteran guard is a former teammate of Kessler’s in Utah. He’ll bring some much-needed veteran experience in the backcourt with Marcus Smart leaving the team in favor of the Houston Rockets, while also adding another scorer to take the load off of Doncic and Reaves.

Sexton is one of many new faces in Los Angeles after this roster overhaul, as he joins fellow newcomers Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Cameron Carr, Looney and Kessler.

There’s a good chance the Lakers aren’t done adding to the roster, as there’s been a lot of speculation about the team being determined to land Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, but that has yet to come to fruition.

Although it was a questionable decision to overhaul the roster, it’ll be interesting to see how everything pans out and whether the Lakers are trending in the right direction to get the Doncic era underway in Los Angeles.

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