Austin Reaves says his goal is to win a title with LeBron James

With the Los Angeles Lakers running it back with the best parts of the roster that reached the Western Conference Finals last year and adding new additions such as Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood, there is optimism that the Lakers will be a top contender this season.

Austin Reaves certainly believes a title is the objective heading into his third season as a Laker, telling Mirin Fader of the Ringer that his goal is to win a title with LeBron James.

“Twenty years from now, if I’m lucky enough to have kids, I could be like, I won a championship with LeBron James. … That’s all I really care about right now.”

While the thought of Reaves as an elder reminiscing about his youth paints a hilarious picture in our heads, it’s likely what will happen if he raises banner No. 18 for the purple and gold in 2024. Helping LeBron reach five titles — one more than Steph Curry — and breaking the tie the Lakers have with the Celtics would be historically noteworthy. There would undoubtedly be plenty of documentaries, shows and podcasts about that title for years to come.

For now, Reaves has himself primed for a breakout season, having shined with Team USA in the summer, is a bonafide starter and has looked good in preseason, averaging 17.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Despite the optimism that permeates Reaves and this Lakers team, they aren’t the favorites to win it all this season. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Lakers currently at +1200 to win the NBA title, giving them the fifth-best odds.

The odds may seem low, but given the champions being the Denver Nuggets and with the Celtics making upgrades and Damian Lillard joining the Milwaukee Bucks, many teams could theoretically win it all this year.

Barring injury, the Lakers will have something to say about who comes out of the West. It’s expected that your key players will be discussing winning it all, especially before games start, but the fact it is being said and talked about and the on-court results look promising is a good sign for the Lakers faithful.

We will see if the words match the results next week when the season officially begins.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.