"Not even the best 3rd option in Los Angeles" - Former 6MOY shuts down Austin Reaves' hype ranking 23.4 PPG scorer above Lakers star

The new CBA has killed the "big three" era in the NBA. It's all about power duos now, and not many teams can brag about having three potential go-to guys.

Notably, both teams in Los Angeles are exceptions to that rule. The Clippers have James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell. The Lakers, on the other hand, have Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.

However, as solid as Reaves has been lately, 3x 6th Man of the Year Lou Williams still thinks he's not on Powell's level.

Talking on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back," Williams argued on Wednesday that Reaves wasn't even the best third option in the city:

"This is not a diss to Austin Reaves, he's not even the best 3rd option in Los Angeles," Williams said. "Would you take [him] or would you take Norman Powell? He's a great option 3rd option for the team that he plays for."

Williams claimed that people shouldn't even debate about third options, stating that it's not a thing at all.

Powell was a late bloomer, but he's taken a big leap as the Clippers' best scoring weapon. He's averaging 23.2 points per game on 49.0% from the floor, including 42.3% from deep, while Reaves averages 19.6 ppg on 44.6% shooting.

Reaves might not be as big a scorer as Powell is, but he's a more complete player in terms of defense and playmaking. Truth be told, you couldn't go wrong with either option.

Luka Doncic tip his hat to Austin Reaves

Reaves has taken a big leap in LeBron James' absence. He's been on a roll in his last five games, averaging 28.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game on 48.5% from the floor and 40.0% from beyond the arc.

That's why Doncic gushed about him on Monday and stated that he couldn't believe how a player like him went undrafted:

“I mean, this guy just scored 30 in his four games in five days, and that explains everything,” Doncic said. “He’s an amazing player. For him to go undrafted is unbelievable. It’s not easy to go undrafted and then play at this level. It’s amazing just to be by his side.”

Per Spotrac, Austin Reaves averages just a $12,976,362 salary this season, and that's one of the biggest bargains in the league.

The Lakers will be wise to do right by him and sign him to a lucrative contract extension if they don't want him to test free agency after the 2025-26 season.