The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that could potentially look very different next season. They have a number of free agents this summer, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can retain all of them.
One of the more valuable free agents for the Lakers is guard Austin Reaves, who played a huge role for the team in the playoffs, averaging 16.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.6 APG for the team during their run to the Western Conference Finals. If he leaves, though, it seems as though the team already has a replacement in mind, and a recent report from Daniel Starkland of Lakers Nation revealed that Jalen Hood-Schifino was drafted to be a potential replacement for Reaves.
“It remains to be seen how free agency will play out in the coming days, but according to league sources, the Lakers’ two top targets in the 2023 NBA Draft were Hood-Schifino and Kobe Bufkin, another guard who was selected 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks just two picks before L.A. The reason the Lakers were so high on both guards is they saw them as potential replacements for Reaves should an offer sheet price them out of bringing the restricted free agent back, league sources tell Lakers Nation.”
It is unlikely that Jalen Hood-Schifino can provide the same impact as Austin Reaves during his first season in the league. Still, his perimeter defense and playmaking could be valuable for the team out of the gate.
This past season with the Indiana Hoosiers, Jalen Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG while shooting 33.3% from 3PT range. Though his 3PT shot clearly needs work, he could still be a good player for the Lakers.
Rob Pelinka Suggested Jalen Hood-Schifino Could Become The Next Austin Reaves
Previously, we saw Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka suggest that Jalen Hood-Schifino could become the next Austin Reaves, noting that his shooting could improve in a similar fashion to Reaves.
“We saw, again, just as a point of comparison, with a player like Austin Reaves, when we drafted him, he wasn’t a knockdown shooter. But he is now,” Pelinka said, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “It’s because he put in work — and work with our staff. And I know that’s something Jalen is committed to too.”
It’ll be interesting to see whether Jalen Hood-Schifino can become an elite role player in the future. He definitely has a high upside, and we’ll see what ends up happening with his career in the future.
