There’s a new normal waiting for Austin Reaves at the end of this offseason, and he feels some way about that. The Los Angeles Lakers’ brave new era means that for the first time in his career, the guard won’t be playing alongside LeBron James. After a five-season partnership that anchored the franchise’s recent postseason runs, the undrafted success story had an emotional reaction to finding out his legendary teammate had entered free agency.

“I texted him,” Reaves said, reflecting on the moment he heard the news, “and told him I was having a great day on the golf course until he ruined it.”

The lighthearted but telling text message was sent directly to LeBron James following the 41-year-old’s stunning June 30 announcement that he is opting for unrestricted free agency. Only a week earlier, the 28-year-old had signed his $185 million extension with the Lakers, the most lucrative deal ever for an undrafted player in NBA history.

Reaves has spent this offseason navigating uncertainty from the fairway. Golf has been his escape and, apparently, his news feed. When word finally came that he’d landed a contract extension, the relief hit him so hard that he dropped right onto the grass of an Arizona golf course and just laid there.

This time, AR spent Wednesday at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. The Celeb-Am practices began on July 8.

For Reaves, the news of Bron’s exit came as a sudden damper on what was supposed to be a week of his favorite pastime and celebrity hangouts. While he didn’t reveal James’ response, having never played a professional season without the 4x MVP by his side, Reaves admitted that navigating the court without his Bron will take a major mental adjustment.

“I don’t have enough time to explain how much he means to me and my career and what he’s done for me,” Reaves told reporters.

He emphasized that he harbors no ill will toward his longtime friend and former captain.

“There’s nothing but love and respect. And when he comes to LA, I need to see him out on the golf course. Maybe play a couple holes or something.”

Austin Reaves will likely have no time to dwell on Bron’s missing void when training camp begins. While the veteran superstar prepares for his next chapter, the Lakers front office has quickly shifted its focus to a new blueprint centered around him and fellow superstar Luka Doncic.

Austin Reaves will anchor ‘New Look’ Lakers without LeBron James for the first time

With James out of the picture, Lakers President Rob Pelinka has spent the early days of free agency aggressively retooling the supporting cast to complement the Doncic-Reaves core.

The biggest addition to compensate for the duo’s lack of interior presence is Walker Kessler. The front office completed a $130 million sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz to land their new defensive anchor.

At the same time, Los Angeles secured key veteran depth by signing Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton. On Tuesday, they secured Kevon Looney on a discount.

As Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Rui Hachimura also opted for free agency and Deandre Ayton was traded, AR finds himself in the middle of an overhaul.

The pressure will now squarely land on Reaves, the longest tenured Laker right now, to elevate his playmaking and scoring output to fill the massive leadership void.

Though his afternoon fairway routine was temporarily derailed by Bron, he is ready to anchor a new-look Lakers squad determined to remain firmly in title contention.