Every Austin Reaves game of 2025-26: drag the line
points, all 51 regular-season games · the 16 without LeBron marked under the columnsOver 27.5: 14/51 games · Without LeBron: 7/16 games
Show the numbers
| Date | Opponent | LeBron | Points | Assists | Minutes | Shots | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-21 | v GSW | out | 26 | 9 | 36 | 9/16 | L 109-119 |
| 2025-10-24 | v MIN | out | 25 | 11 | 37 | 9/15 | W 128-110 |
| 2025-10-26 | at SAC | out | 51 | 9 | 39 | 12/22 | W 127-120 |
| 2025-10-27 | v POR | out | 41 | 5 | 39 | 13/22 | L 108-122 |
| 2025-10-29 | at MIN | out | 28 | 16 | 40 | 9/24 | W 116-115 |
| 2025-10-31 | at MEM | out | 21 | 4 | 36 | 5/14 | W 117-112 |
| 2025-11-02 | v MIA | out | 26 | 11 | 38 | 9/22 | W 130-120 |
| 2025-11-10 | at CHA | out | 24 | 7 | 29 | 7/17 | W 121-111 |
| 2025-11-12 | at OKC | out | 13 | 3 | 30 | 4/12 | L 92-121 |
| 2025-11-14 | at NOP | out | 31 | 7 | 39 | 9/16 | W 118-104 |
| 2025-11-15 | at MIL | out | 25 | 8 | 36 | 9/17 | W 119-95 |
| 2025-11-18 | v UTA | played | 26 | 1 | 33 | 7/11 | W 140-126 |
| 2025-11-23 | at UTA | played | 22 | 4 | 40 | 7/17 | W 108-106 |
| 2025-11-25 | v LAC | played | 31 | 3 | 35 | 11/16 | W 135-118 |
| 2025-11-28 | v DAL | played | 38 | 3 | 41 | 12/15 | W 129-119 |
| 2025-11-30 | v NOP | out | 33 | 8 | 40 | 9/15 | W 133-121 |
| 2025-12-01 | v PHX | played | 16 | 3 | 33 | 6/12 | L 108-125 |
| 2025-12-04 | at TOR | played | 44 | 10 | 41 | 13/21 | W 123-120 |
| 2025-12-05 | at BOS | out | 36 | 8 | 33 | 9/18 | L 105-126 |
| 2025-12-07 | at PHI | played | 11 | 4 | 39 | 3/16 | W 112-108 |
| 2025-12-10 | v SAS | played | 15 | 7 | 40 | 6/16 | L 119-132 |
| 2025-12-23 | at PHX | played | 17 | 2 | 22 | 6/11 | L 108-132 |
| 2025-12-25 | v HOU | played | 12 | 1 | 15 | 5/8 | L 96-119 |
| 2026-02-03 | at BKN | played | 15 | 1 | 21 | 3/9 | W 125-109 |
| 2026-02-05 | v PHI | played | 35 | 2 | 25 | 12/17 | W 119-115 |
| 2026-02-07 | v GSW | played | 16 | 8 | 24 | 5/10 | W 105-99 |
| 2026-02-09 | v OKC | played | 16 | 7 | 29 | 6/14 | L 110-119 |
| 2026-02-12 | v DAL | played | 18 | 6 | 28 | 5/10 | W 124-104 |
| 2026-02-20 | v LAC | played | 29 | 2 | 33 | 9/15 | W 125-122 |
| 2026-02-22 | v BOS | played | 15 | 2 | 33 | 4/10 | L 89-111 |
| 2026-02-24 | v ORL | played | 18 | 3 | 35 | 6/16 | L 109-110 |
| 2026-02-26 | at PHX | played | 14 | 2 | 36 | 5/12 | L 110-113 |
| 2026-02-28 | at GSW | played | 18 | 3 | 28 | 7/11 | W 129-101 |
| 2026-03-01 | v SAC | played | 12 | 5 | 27 | 3/9 | W 128-104 |
| 2026-03-03 | v NOP | played | 15 | 3 | 37 | 4/15 | W 110-101 |
| 2026-03-05 | at DEN | played | 16 | 7 | 38 | 6/11 | L 113-120 |
| 2026-03-06 | v IND | out | 19 | 5 | 28 | 6/14 | W 128-117 |
| 2026-03-08 | v NYK | out | 25 | 5 | 39 | 8/16 | W 110-97 |
| 2026-03-10 | v MIN | out | 31 | 8 | 38 | 10/20 | W 120-106 |
| 2026-03-12 | v CHI | played | 30 | 7 | 38 | 13/20 | W 142-130 |
| 2026-03-14 | v DEN | played | 32 | 6 | 46 | 12/21 | W 127-125 |
| 2026-03-16 | at HOU | played | 15 | 5 | 40 | 5/18 | W 100-92 |
| 2026-03-18 | at HOU | played | 14 | 8 | 38 | 4/9 | W 124-116 |
| 2026-03-19 | at MIA | played | 18 | 4 | 40 | 5/12 | W 134-126 |
| 2026-03-21 | at ORL | played | 26 | 5 | 40 | 10/20 | W 105-104 |
| 2026-03-23 | at DET | played | 24 | 5 | 39 | 7/15 | L 110-113 |
| 2026-03-25 | at IND | played | 25 | 8 | 38 | 7/16 | W 137-130 |
| 2026-03-27 | v BKN | played | 26 | 5 | 40 | 7/13 | W 116-99 |
| 2026-03-30 | v WAS | played | 19 | 9 | 27 | 4/11 | W 120-101 |
| 2026-03-31 | v CLE | played | 19 | 4 | 37 | 6/16 | W 127-113 |
| 2026-04-02 | at OKC | played | 15 | 1 | 26 | 5/9 | L 96-139 |
Why?
LeBron James left the Lakers for Philadelphia in July, and the take wrote itself: now Luka eats. Fair enough, Luka was already the top scorer in the NBA. But the Lakers played 16 games without LeBron last season, so I counted every one, for Reaves and for Luka.
July 2026LeBron to Philly
The takeSo Luka eats?
16 gamesReaves jumps 26 spots
28.4LeBron's first MVP number
Who actually gains?
Without LeBron, Luka went from 33.0 points a game to 35.1, about 2 more. Reaves went from 20.9 to , about 7 and a half more. The gap is just as big in the assists: Reaves 4.5 to , Luka 8.2 to 8.4. Flip Figure 2 to Assists and Share of plays.
With LeBron, then without: Reaves climbs, Luka nudges
a game, 2025-26 regular season · each player's games with LeBron, then withoutShow the numbers
| Games | Points | Assists | Rebounds | Minutes | Share of plays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reaves, with LeBron | 35 | 20.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 33.8 | 25.9% |
| Reaves, without | 16 | 28.4 | 7.8 | 4.8 | 36.1 | 30.4% |
| Luka, with LeBron | 49 | 33.0 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 35.6 | 38.2% |
| Luka, without | 15 | 35.1 | 8.4 | 9.3 | 36.6 | 39.1% |
Luka's numbers barely move because Luka already had the ball: a usage rate (the share of the team's plays a player finishes) of 38.2% with LeBron and 39.1% without. Reaves went from 25.9% to 30.4%. The plays LeBron left behind went to Reaves.
Into the top five
Among the 366 NBA players with 40 or more games, Reaves's 20.9 with LeBron ranks 31st. The 28.4 without would rank 5th, behind only Luka, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Brown. In between sit 26 players, Stephen Curry (26.6) and Nikola Jokić (27.7) among them.
Every NBA scorer, sorted: Reaves 31st with LeBron, 5th without
points a game, 2025-26 regular season · the 365 other players with 40 or more games, and Reaves's two averagesShow the numbers
| Rank | Player | Points a game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Doncic | 33.5 |
| 2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 31.1 |
| 3 | Anthony Edwards | 28.8 |
| 4 | Jaylen Brown | 28.7 |
| 5 | Austin Reaves, without LeBron | 28.4 |
| 6 | Tyrese Maxey | 28.3 |
| 7 | Kawhi Leonard | 27.9 |
| 8 | Donovan Mitchell | 27.9 |
| 9 | Nikola Jokic | 27.7 |
| 10 | Lauri Markkanen | 26.7 |
| 11 | Stephen Curry | 26.6 |
| 12 | Devin Booker | 26.1 |
| 13 | Jalen Brunson | 26.0 |
| 14 | Kevin Durant | 26.0 |
| 15 | Jamal Murray | 25.4 |
| 16 | Victor Wembanyama | 24.9 |
| 17 | Deni Avdija | 24.2 |
| 18 | Michael Porter Jr. | 24.2 |
| 19 | Pascal Siakam | 24.0 |
| 20 | Cade Cunningham | 23.9 |
| 21 | Keyonte George | 23.6 |
| 22 | James Harden | 23.6 |
| 23 | Jalen Johnson | 22.5 |
| 24 | Paolo Banchero | 22.2 |
| 25 | Norman Powell | 21.7 |
| 26 | Trey Murphy III | 21.5 |
| 27 | Brandon Ingram | 21.5 |
| 28 | Julius Randle | 21.1 |
| 29 | Cooper Flagg | 21.0 |
| 30 | Zion Williamson | 21.0 |
| 31 | LeBron James | 20.9 |
| 32 | Austin Reaves, with LeBron | 20.9 |
| 33 | Shaedon Sharpe | 20.8 |
| 34 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 20.8 |
| 35 | Alperen Sengun | 20.4 |
And Reaves didn't get there by just shooting more. More shots came with better shooting, not worse:
| With LeBron | Without | |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes a game | 33.8 | 36.1 |
| Shots a game | 13.8 | 17.5 |
| Share of plays | 25.9% | 30.4% |
| True shooting | 63.5% | 65.2% |
Not one hot month
16 games could be one good month. They weren't: 11 came before LeBron's season debut on 18 Nov, at 28.3 points a game, and 5 came between 30 Nov and 10 Mar, at 28.8. Both stretches say the same thing. The 51 at SAC on 26 Oct was one of them, and the Lakers won 12 of the 16.
The Lakers went 12-4 without LeBron, 24-11 with
every Austin Reaves game of 2025-26 · the number is Reaves's points · filled = the Lakers won24-11with LeBron
12-4without LeBron
Show the numbers
| Date | Opponent | LeBron | Reaves's points | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-21 | v GSW | out | 26 | L 109-119 |
| 2025-10-24 | v MIN | out | 25 | W 128-110 |
| 2025-10-26 | at SAC | out | 51 | W 127-120 |
| 2025-10-27 | v POR | out | 41 | L 108-122 |
| 2025-10-29 | at MIN | out | 28 | W 116-115 |
| 2025-10-31 | at MEM | out | 21 | W 117-112 |
| 2025-11-02 | v MIA | out | 26 | W 130-120 |
| 2025-11-10 | at CHA | out | 24 | W 121-111 |
| 2025-11-12 | at OKC | out | 13 | L 92-121 |
| 2025-11-14 | at NOP | out | 31 | W 118-104 |
| 2025-11-15 | at MIL | out | 25 | W 119-95 |
| 2025-11-18 | v UTA | played | 26 | W 140-126 |
| 2025-11-23 | at UTA | played | 22 | W 108-106 |
| 2025-11-25 | v LAC | played | 31 | W 135-118 |
| 2025-11-28 | v DAL | played | 38 | W 129-119 |
| 2025-11-30 | v NOP | out | 33 | W 133-121 |
| 2025-12-01 | v PHX | played | 16 | L 108-125 |
| 2025-12-04 | at TOR | played | 44 | W 123-120 |
| 2025-12-05 | at BOS | out | 36 | L 105-126 |
| 2025-12-07 | at PHI | played | 11 | W 112-108 |
| 2025-12-10 | v SAS | played | 15 | L 119-132 |
| 2025-12-23 | at PHX | played | 17 | L 108-132 |
| 2025-12-25 | v HOU | played | 12 | L 96-119 |
| 2026-02-03 | at BKN | played | 15 | W 125-109 |
| 2026-02-05 | v PHI | played | 35 | W 119-115 |
| 2026-02-07 | v GSW | played | 16 | W 105-99 |
| 2026-02-09 | v OKC | played | 16 | L 110-119 |
| 2026-02-12 | v DAL | played | 18 | W 124-104 |
| 2026-02-20 | v LAC | played | 29 | W 125-122 |
| 2026-02-22 | v BOS | played | 15 | L 89-111 |
| 2026-02-24 | v ORL | played | 18 | L 109-110 |
| 2026-02-26 | at PHX | played | 14 | L 110-113 |
| 2026-02-28 | at GSW | played | 18 | W 129-101 |
| 2026-03-01 | v SAC | played | 12 | W 128-104 |
| 2026-03-03 | v NOP | played | 15 | W 110-101 |
| 2026-03-05 | at DEN | played | 16 | L 113-120 |
| 2026-03-06 | v IND | out | 19 | W 128-117 |
| 2026-03-08 | v NYK | out | 25 | W 110-97 |
| 2026-03-10 | v MIN | out | 31 | W 120-106 |
| 2026-03-12 | v CHI | played | 30 | W 142-130 |
| 2026-03-14 | v DEN | played | 32 | W 127-125 |
| 2026-03-16 | at HOU | played | 15 | W 100-92 |
| 2026-03-18 | at HOU | played | 14 | W 124-116 |
| 2026-03-19 | at MIA | played | 18 | W 134-126 |
| 2026-03-21 | at ORL | played | 26 | W 105-104 |
| 2026-03-23 | at DET | played | 24 | L 110-113 |
| 2026-03-25 | at IND | played | 25 | W 137-130 |
| 2026-03-27 | v BKN | played | 26 | W 116-99 |
| 2026-03-30 | v WAS | played | 19 | W 120-101 |
| 2026-03-31 | v CLE | played | 19 | W 127-113 |
| 2026-04-02 | at OKC | played | 15 | L 96-139 |
LeBron's number
28.4 points a game is also exactly what LeBron James averaged in 2008-09, the season of LeBron's first MVP:
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron, 2008-09 | 28.4 | 7.6 | 7.2 |
| Reaves, no LeBron | 28.4 | 4.8 | 7.8 |
Same points, more assists, fewer rebounds, and 16 games against 81.
16 games is not a season. Those games came with a different roster around Reaves, and Luka will still have the ball most. The Lakers open against Golden State on 21 Oct in Los Angeles, Thursday in Australia, a game not played when these numbers were read. I'll count Reaves's games again after the first ten.
Summary
- Points a game
- 20.9with LeBron28.4without
- Assists a game
- 4.5with LeBron7.8without
- Without LeBron
- 26L25W51W41L28W21W26W24W13L31W25W33W36L19W25W31W
The working
Definitions, sources and when the numbers were read
- Games
- Every 2025-26 regular-season game Austin Reaves played for the Lakers: 51, 35 with LeBron James and 16 without. A game played means minutes above zero; without means LeBron did not play. Playoffs are left out (the regular season ended on 12 April 2026).
- Luka
- The same split for Luka Doncic: 49 games with LeBron, 15 without.
- Ranks
- Every NBA player with 40 or more regular-season games (366), by points a game. Reaves's two averages are each ranked against everyone else. By assists: 53rd with LeBron, 7th without.
- Share of plays
- The usage rate the feed stores for each game, averaged over the games.
- True shooting
- Derived: points divided by twice (shots plus 0.44 times free throws). It counts threes and free throws, so it is a fuller read on scoring efficiency than field-goal percentage.
- Read
- 21 October 2026, from Punt's database.
- Sources
- LeBron's 2008-09 season: Basketball Reference. LeBron to Philadelphia, a two-year deal: ESPN's report, 24 July 2026 (6abc).
- Not in this article
- Reaves's shot locations, defence, who took LeBron's minutes, and prices.
- Sources and terms
- Every source Punt uses, with its licence, is on Credits. The terms are defined in the Glossary, and the methodology page sets out where every number comes from and the rules it follows.