Reaves Inherits the Lakers' Keys as Dončić Builds His Roster
Austin Reaves cashed the richest undrafted contract in NBA history and now anchors a Dončić-led Lakers core. Here's the fantasy math for 2026-27.
Bigger role next to Dončić with LeBron gone; buy the dip in his cold stretch.
- Reaves: 23.3/4.7/5.5, 38.7 FPTS/G in 51 games (2025-26)
- Reaves ranked #39 overall, #19 at position on our board
- Kessler traded from Utah, 4yr/$130M contract
- LeBron signed with the 76ers in free agency
- Dončić led NBA in scoring at 33.5 PPG last season
The LeBron James era in Los Angeles is over, and the Lakers didn't wait long to hand the franchise to its next generation. James signed with the 76ers, and this is now unambiguously Luka Dončić's team — but the more interesting fantasy story is the man beside him. Austin Reaves inked the richest contract in NBA history for a formerly undrafted player, cementing his jump from feel-good story to genuine building block.
Reaves earned it. He averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 51 games last season (2025-26), good for 38.7 fantasy points per game and a #39 overall spot on our board (#19 at his position). He also had a stretch nobody forgets: a 51-point night followed by a 41-point night in October, plus a buzzer-beating floater against Denver in March. That's a player who belongs in the star conversation.
Dončić's Fingerprints Everywhere
Dončić spent this summer acting the part of a franchise cornerstone, flying his teammates to Slovenia for a chemistry-building minicamp. He led the league in scoring at 33.5 points, finished third in assists at 8.3, and placed fourth in MVP voting before a hamstring strain wiped out his playoffs. He also helped shape the roster — Reaves as his sidekick, Walker Kessler as his center.
Kessler came over from Utah in a haul-heavy deal (unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033, swaps in 2028 and 2030) and got four years and $130 million. He posted 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3 assists in a tiny five-game sample (2025-26), worth 38.3 fantasy points per game. He's currently unranked on our board, mostly because of that sample size and the questions around his offensive ceiling — but the blocks and boards are real, and playing next to Dončić's gravity should feed him easy buckets.
The Fantasy Fallout
With James gone to Philadelphia, roughly 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game (2025-26) walk out the door in L.A. Somebody absorbs that usage, and Reaves is first in line. That matters because his form has been soft lately — down 3.9 fantasy points over his last five games versus his season average — which is exactly the kind of dip that scares nervous managers into selling.
Don't be one of them. Reaves is a buy-low target: the role is expanding, not shrinking, and Dončić-run offenses inflate everyone around them. Draft him as a mid-round anchor and expect his counting stats to climb. Kessler is more of a WATCH for now — grab him late in deep leagues and let the volume tell the story before you commit a real pick.
