Austin Reaves says he is still adjusting after LeBron James’ Lakers exit, but is embracing a bigger role on a reshaped roster

Austin Reaves is still processing the end of an era with the Lakers. In an offseason interview, the Los Angeles guard said he remains “processing” the decision by LeBron James to leave the team, even as he looks forward with optimism at the direction of the current roster.

Reaves’ relationship with the Lakers has been built around learning how to win alongside one of the NBA’s most influential stars. He joined Los Angeles in 2021 as an undrafted prospect, and the Yahoo Sports report frames much of his early professional life as being rooted in the day-to-day experience of playing with a generational basketball mind in James.

With James no longer present, the Lakers are entering a new phase that requires different leadership on and off the court. Reaves indicated he is trying to meet those expectations head-on, describing his mindset as embracing a new role rather than simply looking back at what the franchise has lost.

The “new-look” roster framing matters because it shifts how opponents may have to prepare. When a team changes its personnel and on-court decision-making, role players and secondary creators often become more prominent in both late-game structure and the day-to-day rhythm of the offense. Reaves, as a steady presence who has grown into a clear piece of the rotation, is positioned to absorb more responsibility in that transition.

Still, Reaves’ comments also underscore that the change is not purely tactical. The report suggests a personal adjustment as much as a basketball one, since James’ departure represents more than a roster move for players who came up through that specific competitive environment.

For Lakers fans, the immediate question is what “embracing” looks like in practice once the games begin. Reaves will be expected to do more than fit into a James-centered system. He will likely have to anchor possessions in ways that feel different from his earlier years, while also accommodating whatever new offensive and defensive identities the Lakers are building around the rest of the roster.

The next stretch of preseason and regular-season games will be where the message becomes measurable, especially in how Reaves handles playmaking duties, spacing decisions, and end-of-game possessions as the Lakers continue to recalibrate after the franchise’s longtime centerpiece departed.