Austin Reaves says Luka Doncic texts him golf swing videos. Their Lakers future depends on more than that.

Austin Reaves just signed a $185 million contract extension with the Lakers. That’s a lot of money for a guy who went undrafted four years ago. But he’s not the one carrying the weight of the franchise alone. That falls on him and Luka Doncic, especially now that LeBron James is gone.

Reaves sat down with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin recently and talked about his relationship with Doncic. It turns out they’re close. Like, really close.

“He’s one of my best friends on this planet, talk to him almost every single day,” Reaves said. “He sends me videos of his golf swing & asks me what he can do to get better & I tell him I’m not a coach.”

That’s the kind of chemistry you want between two guys who are supposed to lead a team. But chemistry off the court only matters so much if the roster around them isn’t built right.

Why Reaves stuck around

Reaves didn’t have to re-sign. He could have tested free agency, found a bigger role or a different market. But he chose Los Angeles, and he says the coaching staff played a huge part in that.

“Just the people that are in this organization, how they run it. The coaching staff is a big reason. We see eye to eye on a lot of things, and their competitive nature is one of the biggest reasons.”

It’s easy to forget that Reaves wasn’t part of any long-term plan when the Lakers grabbed him as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He just kept getting better. Last season he played 51 games, averaged 23.3 points on 49% shooting and 36% from three. That’s not a fluke anymore. That’s a guy who’s earned his spot.

The Doncic-Reaves combo

On paper, Doncic and Reaves make sense together. Doncic is the primary ballhandler and creator. Reaves can play off him, spot up, cut, or run secondary actions. Their games complement each other in a way that doesn’t force either one out of their comfort zone.

The question is whether the Lakers front office can put enough shooting and defense around them to compete in the West. Rob Pelinka has work to do. Doncic and Reaves can only do so much if the rest of the roster is a collection of minimum guys and projects.

But the early signs are promising. Two guys who actually like each other, talk every day, and share golf videos? That’s not nothing. In a league where chemistry can fall apart over a bad pass or a media quote, the Lakers might have something real to build on.