Lakers News: Expert Makes Surprising Selection For LA's Third-Best Player

He has built quite the reputation this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in search of their third star behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James for what feels like ever since they paired the two of them together.

And when I say star, I don't mean necessarily to the level of those two hall-of-famers. The Purple and Gold have just wanted another option that could consistently create their own offense and hold down the team whenever AD and James could not be on the court.

Kyle Kuzma was the first player they tried to throw in this role but he was too young at the time and he struggled in a role where he didn't get as many possessions as before. Then we all know how the Russell Westbrook saga played out after a horrible fit.

So the Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell in a deal to get the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Used that pick to draft Kyle Kuzma.

Traded Kuzma in a package to get Russell Westbrook.

And then traded Westbrook in a three-team trade to get DLo back.

Talk about a full circle.

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) February 9, 2023

With the arrival of D'Angelo Russell, everybody obviously looked to him as the solidified third option. He boasts career averages of about 18 points and five assists and he is the first true point guard that LA has had in a long time.

However, Austin Reaves has taken the NBA world by storm. Especially with LeBron James not being in the lineup consistently these past few weeks, the sophomore guard has notched multiple career-highs and been among the team's leading scorers.

There could not be a more perfect stretch for him to be playing his best basketball as he is set to hit restricted free agency in the summer and experts are already slating contract offers all the way up to $80 million. Other experts have taken it a step further and even labeled Reaves as potentially LA's third best player.

AUSTIN REAVES SLAM 🔥 pic.twitter.com/50rqMjPk2I

— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) April 8, 2023

"He’s technically your 3rd best player but he can start, he can come off the bench, he can do a little bit of everything… that’s really the role they have him in right now." (Via Shams Charania, FanDuel TV).

On the year so far, Reaves is averaging about 13 points on 50% from the field and 40% from three-point land. He is set to be a huge part of the Lakers' looming playoff run.

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