Austin Reaves’ new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers is already creating major conversation around the NBA, and Draymond Green is not sugarcoating what comes next.
Speaking about Reaves’ new deal, Green made it clear that a major contract changes everything — especially expectations.
“What he’s expected to do raises tremendously,” Green said. “He’s had struggles in the playoffs. You have those struggles making $45 million a year? You’re not allowed to struggle.”
It is a blunt but realistic point.
Reaves has gone from undrafted success story to one of the Lakers’ most important long-term pieces. That rise is impressive, but a contract of this size brings a different level of pressure. Fans, media, teammates, and opponents will no longer judge him like an underdog. They will judge him like a high-paid core player.
That is the challenge Reaves now faces.
For the Lakers, the belief is clearly that Reaves can be more than a feel-good development story. He has grown into a skilled guard who can score, create, shoot, and play alongside star talent. His ability to operate next to Luka Dončić makes him especially valuable, because the Lakers need players who can punish defenses when Luka draws extra attention.
But Draymond’s point is about the postseason.
Regular-season production is one thing. Playoff reliability is another. When a player is making star-level money, the margin for excuses gets smaller. Bad shooting stretches, defensive mistakes, and passive performances become much harder to ignore.
That does not mean Reaves is not worth the investment. It means the standard has changed.
The Lakers are now betting that Reaves can handle bigger responsibility, tougher matchups, and heavier criticism. If he takes another step, the deal could become a major win. If he struggles when the lights are brightest, the conversation will get loud fast.
Draymond Green understands championship pressure better than most.
And his message to Reaves is simple: once the money changes, the expectations change too.
