"It was all about playing the long game"- Austin Reaves details his agent's master plan to get him to the Lakers

In 2021, Austin Reaves went undrafted. However, in a recent interview on the 'All The Smoke Podcast,' the Los Angeles Lakers guard revealed how he turned down the opportunity to be drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 42nd pick in the draft.

"Everything comes full circle," Reaves said. "All I needed was an opportunity, and I knew that. I knew what I was capable of doing. The skillset, IQ, stuff like that. So, it was really just about my agency putting me in a good position to have all of that. I could have got drafted 42nd by Detroit, but kind of declined that to put me in LA for a better spot."

Rather than being drafted midway through the second round and likely ending up on a two-way contract, where he would split his time between the G-League and the NBA, Reaves wanted a roster spot. As such, his agency formulated a plan, with part of the plan being to know which teams were going to be a good fit for what Reaves brings to the table.

"Basically, we tiered teams - the best fit for me. And, LA was two on the list, they were tier one. I think Detroit called...It was trying to putting me in a position to get a roster spot...I didn't really have to make any calls either - obviously, I wanted to - but it was all about playing the long game."

Things clearly worked out well for Reaves. The Wichita State product has spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers so far and recently inked a four-year $53.8 million contract extension to remain with the Purple and Gold for the immediate future.

---

Darvin Ham believes Austin Reaves has All-Star potential

At times, Austin Reaves can explode to life and take over a game. Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers guard had multiple moments of brilliance, where he elevated his play to help his team take the lead.

According to Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, Reaves has the talent and potential to eventually become an All-Star in the NBA.

“I’m putting it on record right now, Austin Reaves will be an All-Star at some point soon," Ham said during an appearance on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast. "I think what you saw with him being invited to be a part of the World Cup team is the first step in that direction. Everything you saw him do last year, the kid is a flat-out competitor.

"... My plan is to continue to feature him. He’s our starting two-guard, and I think there’s a lot more levels [he's] going to get to before it’s all said and done.”

During his sophomore season, Reaves displayed an improved scoring ability, shooting 39.8% from 3-Point range (up 8.1% from the previous season) and 52.9% from the field (up 7% from his rookie year). As such, the Los Angeles Lakers will likely continue to put Reaves in a position to succeed, and the young guard will be hoping to repay that faith with more memorable performances.