Draymond Green doesn’t do soft landings. And he sure wasn’t about to start for Austin Reaves.
The Lakers locked up Reaves this offseason with a four-year, $185 million max extension, keeping the undrafted guard in L.A. alongside Luka Doncic. But on a recent episode of his podcast, Green made it clear that contract comes with a price beyond the dollars.
Green’s warning to Reaves
Reaves had a hell of a run to get here. Undrafted in 2021, he signed a two-way deal, clawed his way into the rotation and turned himself into an All-Star caliber player. This past season he averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 49 percent shooting. A calf injury likely cost him his first All-Star nod. The contract was a no-brainer for a front office trying to keep Doncic happy and maintain locker room chemistry.
But Green’s point was blunt. The money changes everything.
“Austin Reaves has had some struggles in the playoffs. You have those struggles making $45 million a year, it’s not viewed the same way when you’re making $23 million a year,” Green said. “When you’re making 23, you will not catch the same flak as when you’re making 46. So I would warn Austin Reaves, prepare for what’s to come with that. You have to play great now at all times. You have to have great playoff series’. You’re not allowed to struggle or people will crush you.”
He’s not wrong. Reaves averaged 19.9 points in a first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves this spring, but shot just 32 percent from three for the series. That kind of efficiency dip becomes a headline when your annual salary just jumped into the top tier of NBA earners.
The expectation gap
The Lakers had to do this deal. Letting Reaves walk after trading for Doncic would have been a disaster for continuity. He’s arguably the best undrafted success story in franchise history, and those aren’t easy to replace. But Green’s point lands because it’s real. Reaves went from being a fan-favorite overachiever to a max-contract cornerstone overnight. The grace period is over.
For what it’s worth, Reaves has never shied away from big moments. He put up 23 points in a play-in win over the Timberwolves. He dropped 27 in a Christmas Day win against Golden State. But the playoffs are a different animal, and the criticism that follows a max player isn’t forgiving.
Reaves will get his shot to prove Green wrong. The Lakers are betting $185 million he can handle the weight.
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