Training camp and preseason are knocking on the door. The NBA 2025-26 season isn’t a distant dream anymore. And thus, every franchise is suiting up for action. Well, on September 24, training camp will kick off outside North America. However, for the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ll hit the hardwood in October, playing only four friendly games against the Suns, Warriors, and Kings. Therefore, preparations have begun. Already? Yes, absolutely! And while players like Luka Doncic have just finished their EuroBasket 2025 run, stars like Austin Reaves are back at training centers.

On Wednesday, the Lakers’ official Instagram page shared a series of three photos of AR in basketball motion. Dressed in the Lakers’ practice suit of black and purple, the 27-year-old shooting guard looked and felt like he was in his natural habitat. The caption of the post? “Austin’s offseason grind 💪.” Back at the UCLA Health Training Center, Reaves is putting in those hours. Redemption arc is about to begin!

But wait! There’s something different about him. Most of the fans might’ve ignored it or rather didn’t notice it, but Luka Doncic? No, those sharp Slovenian eyes never miss! So, he commented: “@austinreaves12 get a haircut please.” And now, when you look closely, you’ll surely notice that Austin Reaves indeed hasn’t had a haircut in a while. Reaves has grown his hair long enough for Luka to miss the usual short hair face he’s so accustomed to by now!

Well, you could say this is some power move by Luka Doncic to show everyone that there is indeed no rift between him and AR. Whispers of tension have circled for months, painting Doncic and Reaves as anything but aligned. Yet the spotlight shifts when Luka takes control of the narrative in his own style. Of course, this came after Reaves’ own agent initially hit back at the rumors of the two stars being in a feud.

Is there truly any rift between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves?

The Los Angeles Lakers found real magic in their backcourt when Luka Doncic joined Austin Reaves last season. Questions arose at first since both are ball-heavy guards, but the pairing clicked. Still, John Gambadoro stirred debate in July 2025, claiming Reaves and LeBron James were not thrilled with Doncic’s style while insisting the Lakers belong to Luka now.

“LeBron does not like playing with Luka, Reaves does not like playing with Luka. Reaves does not like getting the ball with two seconds left on the shot clock,” Gambadoro had said, suggesting that Luka’s ball-heavy style impacted both Reaves and LeBron, and the two stars were fed up. However, that will not only suggest serious problems for the Lakers, but also be a huge question mark over their biggest stars’ ability to play together.

Reaves’ agent, Aaron Reilly, fired back quickly, silencing the rumors while backing his client’s partnership with Doncic. “Austin has nothing but the utmost respect for Luka and truly enjoys playing alongside him. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false. He’s excited to be on the court with Luka—both now and in the future,” Reilly said firmly through Trevor Lane.

Reaves’ own growth highlights the chemistry. His 2024–25 season took off with Doncic on the floor for the LA Lakers. Without him, he put up 19.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. With Luka, those numbers jumped to 21.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. Hence, the kind of effect Luka tends to have on his teams has been evident in the case of Austin Reaves as well. The Lakers will be well aware that both of these players, along with LeBron, are integral to any success that they find next season. Considering that, and the players’ own words, things seem to be on the right track.

In March, Reaves emphasized the bond, saying, “It’s been a lot of fun getting to know him. Good dude. Needs to stop taking my money and the plane playing cards.”

Lakers Nation can finally breathe, because Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves look more united than ever. From playful haircut jabs to silencing rift rumors, their bond keeps stealing the spotlight. The numbers back it, the chemistry proves it, and the laughs seal it. As October looms, this duo is gearing up to make noise together.