No one was expecting to see Austin Reaves in a wheelchair at a basketball court this offseason, and so, the question rose: Is he injured? The answer is NO! If anything, he showed up in a wheelchair to support a very noble cause, which is ‘Wheelchair Basketball’ hosted by Angel City Games!

This year was the 11th edition of this tournament in Torrance, and it is the largest Paralympic-style adaptive sports event of its kind in the Western US! It was a three-day event that offered a competitive environment for people of all ages and skill levels who have a physical or visual disability. And while Angel City Games hosts as many as 15 different sports, Reaves was there to support Wheelchair Basketball.

Since its inaugural tournament in 2015, the concept has received wide attention. For instance, over the years, their Celebrity Wheelchair Basketball Game has attracted names like actors Adam Sandler, Christian Bale, Peyton List, and Donna D’Errico; Professional basketball players like Toby Bailey, Tyus Edney, and now Reaves.

In a clip shared by ‘LA28games’, the NBA player was seen going around in a wheelchair on the basketball court, catching the ball, passing it, and in one instance, he successfully up it in the basket. ‘Overtime’ on Instagram shared the clip too with the caption, “Austin Reaves for the people.”

The initial image of Austin Reaves in a wheelchair would have left some fans worried. After all, it was only back in April when the Lakers star was dealing with a right ankle sprain. Later, in early May, Lakers analyst Trevor Lane revealed that Austin Reaves was dealing with a left big toe sprain during the Playoffs. He was considered to be on a 2-4 week injury recovery period, but the 27-year-old continued playing through it in the last two games.

Well, if Tyrese Haliburton showed us something, it is not to take risks with your injury, even for the sake of the playoffs. Fortunately, from the looks of it, Reaves seems to be doing just fine. Since it has been established that Reaves is doing alright on the health front, fans are worried about his future with the Lakers, as recently it was revealed that the Arkansas native had rejected a 4-year, $89.2 million extension.

Matt Barnes claims Austin Reaves will earn a massive contract after rejecting the Lakers’ extension

The Los Angeles Lakers were dumped out in the first playoff round for the second year in a row. This isn’t something that will be tolerated in LA, especially after they got Luka Doncic to partner with LeBron James. This has convinced the front office that changes need to be made. And with Mark Walter taking control of the Lakers from Jeanie Buss, expect a lot of changes from the boardroom to the court in Los Angeles. While the Lakers will definitely target new players, the focus will also be on the renewal of some important players on the roster. And Matt Barnes includes Austin Reaves in the latter.

During a recent episode of the ‘Unplugged’ show, the 2017 NBA champion built Reaves up by saying, “There’s times where he was the leading scorer on this team. There’s a guy that you can throw the ball to and for sure get a game-winning bucket. [He] hits big shots tough as a [expletive], maybe not the best on defense, but there’s not too many people out there that are really locking up”. When asked if Reaves still is untouchable in trade talks as he was earlier, Barnes added, “He has been for the team, and I don’t know if he is now because I think this team is in a hurry-up mode. [The Lakers] need to try to get the best players around Bron, but name a better third option that could be a two.”

Many people are drawing comparisons between Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder. Schroder made headlines back in 2021 for turning down a 4-year, $84 million extension with the Lakers. Ultimately, the team did not offer him a better deal, nor did any of the other franchises. In the end, he had to settle for a minimum contract with the Toronto Raptors. However, Barnes does not think the same thing will happen to Reaves, claiming that “I think, barring injury, he’ll definitely get more on the open market. I think there’s no question about it. Some people are saying close to $200 million. I thought the $160M to $200M. I don’t know what the exact numbers are, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s close.”

The Lakers’ precarious salary cap situation means that they can’t even come close to that $200 million mark that Reaves is perhaps looking for. But you never know; one thing that we have learned in the off-season over the years is, no deal is off the table. So, while his future remains in the dark for now, Austin Reaves is enjoying his time currently.