Austin Reaves’ Lakers return looms large, but is it enough to compete for a ring?

NEW YORK — On Feb. 1, 2025, the Lakers left Madison Square Garden with a 28–19 record, the fifth-best-winning percentage in the Western Conference, after a commanding win over the Knicks, and were in the midst of a playoff race that ended with them securing the No. 3 seed in the west after having a 50–32 record.

Exactly one year later, the Lakers are 29–19 for the No. 6 spot in the west after their first road loss to the Knicks since Nov. 21, 2021, and are in contention for a playoff spot just like the previous time they left the world’s most famous arena. 

How little can change in a year despite so many differences, with one of the biggest, of course, being the Lakers’ trade for Luka Dončić.

And with Sunday being the one-year anniversary of the transaction that brought the 26-year-old Slovenian star to Los Angeles, there remains an obvious question: How should this Lakers squad be assessed when it comes to their ultimate goal of not just competing for a spot in the playoffs, but ultimately contending for the NBA championship?

“We’re in a good spot,” Dončić said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think we have a great group.”

Plenty of work needs to be done. 

Because for as much as things have changed since Dončić officially became a Laker — roster adjustments; 68 regular-season games (and counting) of Dončić dawning purple and gold; a five-game first-round playoff exit to the Timberwolves; Mark Walter acquiring majority ownership of the franchise from the Buss family, and many more — a lot has stayed the same when it comes to the Lakers’ slim chances of competing for a title. 

LeBron James echoed Dončić’s optimism about what this year’s team can accomplish, saying that he liked the group, before recognizing the ups and downs they’ve experienced and unknowns ahead of them. 

“We’ve had some really good moments,” James said. “We have some not-so-good moments.”

He continued, “We got to continue to get better. And that’s good. We should want to get better. … It’s a tough Western Conference. It’s a tough league. It’s been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. Guys in and guys out. Unfortunately, our All-Star two guard has been out for a minute and that’s a big piece of our team. So, it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”

The player James referenced is Austin Reaves, who’s averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds on the season, but wasn’t named an All-Star in light of being sidelined for 19 consecutive games because of a strained left calf, including Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, and playing in less than half of the Lakers’ games. 

Reaves was a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, but was ruled out after going through his pregame warmup, with Tuesday’s trip-ending matchup against the Brooklyn Nets the next opportunity to make his return to the floor. 

“He’s day-to-day, game-to-game, however you want to phrase it,” Lakers’ Coach JJ Redick said, “We’ll hopefully have him for Tuesday, but he’s gotta feel 100% confident.”

But even when Reaves does return, with the Lakers going 10–9 during his absence entering Tuesday, it shouldn’t be assumed that the Lakers will vault themselves higher in the standings when they’re healthier. 

Or, if they do, be a viable threat in the playoffs. 

Because for as impactful Reaves has been, playing at an All-NBA level before his injury, he won’t cover up all of their issues: An imbalanced roster featuring more “one-way” players than true “two-way” players. A roster that doesn’t consistently play hard enough. Or maximize its talent.

“We’re right there in the playoff chase in the west,” Redick said. “Our guys have been great all season. They’ve really done a nice job of kind of responding to the ups and downs that a season presents that is natural to the NBA cycle. Whether you’re a [general manager], a coach, a player, you’re never gonna look at a roster and say, ‘This is a perfect roster, and all the pieces fit perfectly together.’ It just doesn’t really happen a lot.”

But perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of better, which is what the Lakers, led by the franchise’s president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka, should focus on achieving ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. 

Another seismic move, like the trade for Dončić or another star player, is unlikely to happen before Thursday. So is a move for, what most fans would consider, a game-changing player.

But if the Lakers want to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2023, a move needs to be made.

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