Austin Reaves has been facing the spotlight since he helped the Los Angeles Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals this season. He joined the squad in 2021, and his story so far has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. At first, in 2021, nobody drafted him. Later, the same year he signed a two-year contract with the Lakers. When he first joined the roster, Austin Reaves did not get much time in the starting lineup.
But gradually, the Lakers’ management started realizing the immense potentiality in the kid from Oklahoma Sooners. Moreover, the leader of the roster, LeBron James, noticed the high IQ of AR in the game of basketball very early in his days with the group. As a result, Reaves became an integral member of the starting team of the Lakers this year and has done an amazing job. That is why Austin Reaves’s demand is rising not only in the NBA but also at the international level.
Austin Reaves May Play For Team USA Instead Of Germany In FIBA WC
Austin Reaves just completed two seasons in the NBA. And he has German citizenship as well because of his grandmother. Hence, both American and German teams are eager to have him in their team. For a while, it seemed like AR planned to represent Germany in the next FIBA World Cup. However, Shams Charania of The Athletic recently revealed that Team USA will pick a few of the rising stars of the current NBA season for the FIBA WC. And Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks may make their national team debut.
.The Golden States coach will be the coach of the American side in the FIBA World Cup. And out of all the people who noticed AR, Steve Kerr is very interested in picking the Lakers man to be in Team USA. On the other hand, Lakers teammate of AR, Dennis Schroder, has confirmed that he will play for Germany in the World Cup. But Reaves has not confirmed anything as of yet.
Lakers Really Want To Keep AR On Their Roster For Following Seasons
Team USA is set to begin its training in the first week of August in Las Vegas. Later, on August 7, the USA will play an exhibition game against Puerto Rico. Then the American side will trip to Spain and UAE for two weeks. Finally, on August 26, the US team will start their World Cup campaign against New Zealand.
In the Lakers’ squad, when Anthony Davis needed someone, Austin Reaves was there. He helped AD to carry the Lakers to the postseason and played the most essential supporting role. He displayed remarkable consistency throughout the season and especially in the playoffs. Hence, AR has become a delight to be on any team. The Lakers are trying their best to keep him for the following seasons. But other teams with bigger cap space may get him, like Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic might be willing to offer AR a better deal than the Lakers.