The 'hidden' benefits for the Lakers of Austin Reaves' budding friendship
In the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has become a breakout player for Team USA. Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha , he also seems to be bonding on and off the court with Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges, a relationship that could pay the Lakers dividends in the future.
“Reaves and Bridges have formed an especially tight friendship as two of the team’s jokesters,” Buha noted.
Why is this budding friendship important for the Lakers?
For starters, Reaves could pick up basketball knowledge from Bridges, who is the more polished scorer and defender. Bridges has a first-team All-Defense selection on his résumé and is Brooklyn's primary offensive option.
Reaves' skill-set consists primarily of off-ball actions, such as backdoor cuts, transition layups and spot-up three-point shots. He would benefit greatly from the chance to learn from a player like Bridges, who has more on-ball, isolation-focused moves.
The primary reason the relationship could benefit the Lakers, though, is that it could spill over to the business side of the game. In the summer of 2026, the Lakers will be in prime position to sign Bridges, who will be a free agent.
We've seen how relationships developed during international play have impacted free agency in the NBA. The most obvious example is when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh established a friendship during their time with Team USA and later played together with the Miami Heat.
The FIBA World Cup will start Friday, so there is still plenty of time for Reaves and Bridges to cement their friendship. It's a perfect time, too, for Reaves to add to his on-court arsenal.
Clearly, this is a relationship Lakers management and fans should monitor closely, as it could have a huge impact for the team down the line.
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