Austin Reaves has broken his silence regarding LeBron James' impending departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, expressing his gratitude and well wishes on Instagram more than a day after James confirmed his move. Reaves, who has been teammates with James for the past five seasons, posted three images of himself and James on the court together with a caption that read, “Thank you for everything. See you on the golf course soon brother!”
Reaves' delayed reaction to the news drew attention, particularly following comments made in January by James' agent, Rich Paul. On his podcast "Game Over," Paul suggested that the Lakers would be better served by trading Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jaren Jackson Jr. The remarks generated significant discussion, prompting Reaves' agent, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, to reportedly address the issue with Paul at a game.
James later publicly distanced himself from Paul's comments. In an interview with ESPN, James stated, “I think you all know by now, Rich is his own man and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me and how I feel. And I hope people know that. I hope people know that and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.”
Reaves joins a number of Lakers players who have publicly acknowledged James' departure. Luka Dončić shared on Instagram that it was “an honor to play with and learn from” James, while Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, and Jaxson Hayes also posted tributes on social media to the future Hall of Famer.
The next destination for James has not yet been confirmed, though the Warriors, Heat, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves have been cited as early favorites in the free agency period.