Austin Reaves Got $185 Million. Emmanuel Acho Has a Playoff Warning for Lakers Fans.

Emmanuel Acho is not here to rain on the parade. He just wants everyone to be honest about what they’re getting.

The former NFL linebacker and Speakeasy host weighed in on Austin Reaves’ four-year, $185 million max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. And his take is pretty straightforward: yes, the Lakers had to do this. But no, you probably shouldn’t trust Reaves the way you’d trust a championship-level number two in May.

“The Lakers HAD TO sign Austin Reaves, but come playoff time you CANNOT trust Austin Reaves to be your playoff #2!” Acho posted on social media after reports confirmed the guard declined his $14.9 million player option to sign the new deal.

Let’s back up a second. Reaves is a legit player. When LeBron James or Luka Doncic sits, he can lift his scoring to around 24 points a night. He gives Los Angeles that third scoring option that keeps them in the 48-win range and guarantees a postseason spot. Acho gives him credit for all of that.

The problem is what happens when the playoffs start and the game slows down. Defenses lock in. Elite defenders start game-planning specifically for him. And Acho says Reaves doesn’t have that explosive athleticism to beat them when it matters most.

The numbers from this spring back that up. In Game 1 of the Lakers’ second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Reaves scored 8 points on 3-of-16 shooting. That was the worst postseason shooting night by a Laker in over 30 years. He bounced back with 31 and 27 in later games, sure. But Los Angeles still went home in the second round.

Where Acho Draws the Line

Acho sees Reaves as a true number three and a very good regular-season number two. He just won’t put him in the same conversation as Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jayson Tatum, or Jaylen Brown. Those guys can carry a team through a playoff series. Acho isn’t convinced Reaves can do that.

He’s not bashing the contract. The Lakers had no choice. You let Reaves walk and you’re left with cap space and a hole in the rotation. But paying a guy $185 million and trusting him to be your second-best player in a Western Conference Finals game? Those are two very different things.

The Lakers are betting big that Reaves can make that leap. Acho is just reminding everyone that the bet hasn’t paid off yet.