During the 2023-2024 NBA season, Anthony Davis has been an absolute monster. D’Angelo Russell has been a silent assassin (and one of the most under-appreciated players across the entire league). And Austin Reaves has quietly continued his upward trajectory towards stardom.
But with the post-LeBron era drawing nearer and nearer, is this the future big 3 of the Lakers franchise?
Lakers’ next big three may already be in LA
Davis turns 31 in a few days (happy cake day AD!), and while he is undeniably one of the premier big men in the NBA his checkered injury history yields some worry regarding his cornerstone status. With that being said, the unicorn has suited up in all but 4 games this season. One season is not a large enough sample to jump to any conclusions, but it has been nice to see him on the court consistently.
Russell turned 28 a few weeks back, and while the Ohio State product has dealt with some injury woes in years past he has steered clear of any serious ailments over the course of the last few campaigns. Reaves will turn 26 in May, and is among the toughest players in the league as evidenced by his perfect game attendance record in 2023-2024 so far.
In terms of contracts, Davis is under team control through the 2027-2028 season. Russell has a player option this summer, which he could quite feasibly decline in search of a higher payday if he can continue the scorching streak he has been on since the turn of the calendar year. The team may look to revisit trade talks centered around him and Dejounte Murray, but if the team can make another run and D’Lo can avoid another postseason letdown then there is no reason to not bring him back.
Reaves is under full team control for the next two seasons before deciding on a roughly $15 million player option for 2026-2027. It would take a lot to pry him away from the birthplace of his professional basketball career, and even he does not blossom into a full-blown star during the next few seasons his contract will still be considered among the most team-friendly in the association.
In terms of statistical output, the trio has been very productive thus far in the season:
Davis | 35.7 MPG, 24.8 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.4 BPG, 55.7% FG/26.0% 3/81.5% FT
Russell | 31.8 MPG, 17.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 46.5% FG/41.4% 3/80.4% FT
Reaves | 31.5 MPG, 15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 49.2% FG/37.5% 3/86.7% FT
Davis has been a legitimate DPOY + borderline MVP candidate all season long, and there is no doubt he will continue to dominate the league for the next 5-10 years if he can stay healthy.
Russell was almost a given to get traded before the deadline but started heating up in the weeks leading up to the annual swap meet and has not looked back since. And it took Reaves a little time to get going this year, but he has once again taken a step forward as an all-around, intelligent hooper.
With other young/prime pieces on the team like Rui Hachimura (26), Jarred Vanderbilt (25 next month), Christian Wood (28), Cam Reddish (24), Max Christie (21) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (20) this is already a team that could hypothetically be built for the future. Whether or not you would consider them to be properly equipped for the seasons ahead relies heavily on how you feel about the trio of Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves.
