Eight months after the blockbuster Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade that shook the NBA, Austin Reaves reflected on what it was like to lose two of his closest teammates.Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison had worked quietly behind the scenes to keep negotiations under wraps, and when the deal became official, it stunned the league: Mavericks Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris were dealt to the Lakers in exchange for Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.Austin Reaves recalled that Davis broke the news in the Lakers’ group chat, but at first, he thought the big man was joking.“I was obviously hurt at the time because, you know, I had a really good relationship with Max, had a really, really, really good relationship with AD,” Reaves said on “The Young Man and The Three” podcast.“(I was) around them every single day for the year, it’s like, you wake up the next day, I think Max left at like four o’clock that morning to go to Dallas, so it’s like… it’s just gone.”This season marks the Lakers’ first full campaign since that stunning trade, with Reaves and Doncic expected to form the starting backcourt alongside LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.Austin Reaves wants to stay with Lakers despite turning down extensionOver the summer, Austin Reaves reportedly turned down a four-year, $89.2 million extension offer from the Lakers, the largest deal they could give after locking up Luka Doncic on a three-year, $165 million max through 2028.Speaking at media day on Monday, Reaves admitted it wasn’t an easy decision and stressed that he still sees his long-term future in LA.“It’s super hard,” Reaves told ESPN LA (per Silver Screen and Roll). “If you would have told me even three years ago that I was going to have the opportunity to make that money, then I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat.“But it’s a business at the end of the day. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be in LA. I want to be in LA for my whole career and hopefully we can make that happen.”Reports suggest Reaves is aiming for around $30 million per year, and whether he proves worthy of that price tag or the Lakers go in another direction may hinge on how he performs this season.