Austin Reaves just lost his all-time running buddy, and he is already planning their next hang. LeBron James is out the door in Los Angeles, headed for what will be his 24th NBA season with a new team. Reaves, who has never played a minute in the league without James in the same locker room, posted a short and sweet goodbye on Instagram that ended with a pretty clear promise.
“Thank you for everything,” Reaves wrote. “See you on the golf course soon, brother!”
That tracks. The two have been close since Reaves showed up as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2021. And by year three, Reaves wasn’t just some waiver-wire story anymore. He was the guy James wanted on the floor in crunch time. That relationship does not end because LeBron is packing up his California closet.
Reaves Just Had His Best Year Without a Full Season
The 2025-26 season was statistically the best of Reaves’ career. He averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals — all career highs. The shooting splits were clean too: 49 percent from the field, 36 percent from three. But he missed 31 games with two separate lower-body injuries, which is the one thing that kept his season from feeling like a real breakthrough.
When he was on the court though, the Lakers looked different. Reaves became the secondary creator the team needed next to James. He handled the ball in pick-and-roll, hit pull-up threes and actually defended well enough to stay on the floor in playoff minutes. Not bad for a guy nobody drafted four years ago.
LeBron Is Still Playing at a High Level
James left the Lakers on solid ground individually. He put up 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. The threes were a little off at 31.7 percent, but for a 41-year-old forward playing his 23rd season, it is still absurd that he averaged 20-plus points. The Lakers did not win a ring this year, and that is probably part of why LeBron decided to move on. He wants another shot before he hangs it up.
Where he goes next is still unclear, but the Lakers are left with Reaves as the centerpiece of their backcourt and a giant hole at the top of the roster. What happens next for L.A. is the real question. But for Reaves, the plan is simple: keep playing, keep getting better and keep that tee time with LeBron.
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