Austin Reaves Is Facing His Biggest Season Yet, and Rob Pelinka Just Set the All-Star Stakes

Austin Reaves is walking into the 2026-27 season with a massive target on his back, and it’s all thanks to Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka. Pelinka just laid out a huge goal for Reaves: become an All-Star. Yeah, you heard that right, a full-on All-Star.

A New Era in LA

This upcoming 2026-27 campaign is gonna be a total reset for the Lakers. LeBron James has packed his bags and headed off to the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving a huge void. Now, everyone knows Luka Doncic is the undisputed superstar on that team, but even he needs a reliable running mate. That’s where Austin Reaves comes in. The whole Lakers organization is pretty upfront about Reaves being under a serious microscope, stepping up to help the team hit its objectives. He’s been a superb player for a few years already, but with LeBron out of the picture, this 2026-27 season absolutely opens the door for Reaves to truly shine and snag some serious accolades.

Max Deal, Max Pressure

Pelinka isn’t shy about his expectations. He’s setting the bar high for Reaves, and it’s clear the pressure is on. But it sounds like Reaves is ready to embrace the challenge. Pelinka revealed, “One of the things we talked to Austin about is like, what does it mean once you’re a max level player? What new responsibilities come your way with that leadership and showing others by example, like how to get better. So he’s got a whole tool chest of new things that he’s gotta improve on and work at to be a great leader.” Pelinka added that he, Austin, and JJ discussed it, and Reaves is all in. We’re not just talking about his game growing, but his leadership skills too. Collin Sexton even chimed in, saying Reaves will definitely be a leader for the Lakers. It’s the simple truth: with that bigger contract, Reaves has to live up to the deal. Those expectations are there to either meet or exceed, and it’s gonna be a wild ride watching him try.

This isn’t just talk, this is the future of the Lakers on Reaves’ shoulders. Can he hit that All-Star goal and really become Luka’s ultimate partner? The season might still be a bit away, but the anticipation is already through the roof to see how Reaves handles this massive opportunity.

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Originally reported by The Sporting News.