With the vision to build around Luka Doncic, Rob Pelinka has kicked off this Lakers’ offseason with some pivotal roster upgrades. One of them is adding young forward Jake LaRavia on a two-year $12 million deal. Sure enough, the former Kings star is ecstatic to embark on this new journey, as evident from his statement, “LAKESHOWWWWW! Hope Lakers fans are as excited as I am. Let’s work!” And turns out, even Jake’s new teammate Austin Reaves is excited to share the floor with him.

Welcoming LaRavia to the Purple and Gold family, AR shared a post on his IG story congratulating the forward on his new contract. “Jake’s been putting in the work, and after a strong finish with the Kings last season, he’s earned this next chapter in LA. The grind doesn’t stop—can’t wait to see him shine in the purple & gold! #LakeShow,” the caption read. And Reaves added to it by sending a five-word message of his own, “Welcome to LA my guy.”

Well, Austin’s excitement is justified because LaRavia is a solid addition to the roster. Not only does the 6’8 forward solve the team’s size problem, but he also adds to their depth. During his brief Kings tenure, Jake averaged 6.1 points and nearly three rebounds. He could have a similar impact off the bench in LA.

Amid Reaves’ wholesome welcome, Pelinka is also looking forward to Jake’s development in LA, “Jake is a high IQ two-way player with ideal skills for a JJ Redick basketball system. He’s a disruptive defender who uses his size and physicality to create turnovers. Offensively, he can score at all three levels and has a knack for creating space for himself and his teammates. Being just 23 years old, we think Jake has significant basketball upside, which will be honed nicely in our Lakers basketball development program.”

So, the Lakers definitely got a good one there. However, the recent Bradley Beal buzz has left Austin’s future in question.

Austin Reaves’ Lakers role under threat due to Bradley Beal buzz

While AR is excited to share the floor with his new teammates, his role as part of the Big Three with Luka and LeBron is seemingly under major threat. That’s because he could get replaced by Bradley Beal. Following two underwhelming seasons in Phoenix, Beal is reportedly exploring his options with other teams in anticipation of a Suns buyout. He still has two years $111 million left on his deal, and the Lakers are one of the potential suitors to land him.

If they do, Austin’s role could diminish significantly because of Beal’s stardom and stacked resume. Per media veteran Allen Sliwa, “Maybe the Lakers want to start him and then give Austin Reaves an opportunity off the bench and basically tell Austin Reaves… Reaves kind of gets the, ‘Hey, now you get to go do your thing for the Lakers when there are some substitutions, whatever the case is, and then play just the best five when you’re closing out a game.’ Um, I think all that kind of comes into play.”

Well, Reaves had a breakout season this year, averaging 20.2 points and nearly six assists. Whereas Beal had one of his worst seasons, averaging 17 points and nearly four assists. Despite that, the three-time All-Star would likely be higher in the pecking order if he joins the Lakers.

Even worse, the Lakers might no longer feel the need for Reaves on the roster. And that could shatter his dream of staying a Laker for life. There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding Austin’s future and it all depends on the Beal dilemma. Do you think the Lakers should add Beal to their roster?