Skip Bayless NAMES Austin Reaves as the 'Greatest Undrafted NBA Player Ever' and must be an All-Star

If there were any doubts about what the Los Angeles Lakers would look like once LeBron James came back, four games later, there’s no question — JJ Redick’s team is a legitimate title contender.

After last night’s win over the Dallas Mavericks, in which Anthony Davis returned, the Lakers claimed a 129–119 victory at Crypto.com Arena. Despite another dominant outing from Luka Doncic, who became just the third player in Purple and Gold team history with at least 35 points and 10 assists in back-to-back games, joining Kobe Bryant and Jerry West, Austin Reaves once again stole the show.

The Oklahoma product dropped a game-high 38 points along with eight rebounds on an incredible 12-for-15 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. After the game, social media lit up with reactions to the Lakers’ impressive performance, including one from Skip Bayless.

“Austin Reaves (38 tonight with Luka and LeBron playing) is the greatest undrafted NBA player ever and has to make the All-Star team,” Bayless wrote on his X account.

Reaves deserves an All-Star spot

The NBA analyst, usually harsh in his criticism of anything related to LeBron, has been full of praise for the Lakers in recent games and rightfully so, given how well they’re playing and how close they are to winning another NBA Cup title.

Reaves and Doncic were the only two players who eclipsed 40 minutes last night, and the Lakers guard continues to produce at an All-Star level. Many assumed his role would shrink once James returned, and while his playmaking numbers have dipped with two offensive juggernauts on the floor, Reaves is getting more clean looks than ever before in his career.

Looking at the numbers from the four games since LBJ came back, Reaves is averaging just 2.8 assists compared to 8.2 assists without the four-time NBA champion. Still, he has become incredibly efficient, averaging 29.3 points across those four games, which is above his season average, while shooting a remarkable 62.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range.

Without LeBron, he shot 48.2 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from three-point range, which further highlights how well he plays off the ball, thanks to his high basketball IQ. And while the Lakers’ backcourt is stacked with talent, something Bayless has mentioned before, dropping 129 points on Dallas is no easy task.

Despite their issues, the Mavericks still rank sixth in the league in defensive net rating at 111.1 points allowed per 100 possessions, and that was without AD in the lineup.

Could Reaves dethrone Wallace?

Bayless’ take that Reaves deserves an All-Star spot absolutely makes sense, and we’ll see whether there’s room for him among the 16 best U.S. players, considering that one team of eight is exclusively international.

Looking back at some of the best undrafted players in league history, names like Ben Wallace, John Starks or Bruce Bowen, it’s already clear that none of them possessed the level of offensive talent that the 6-foot-5 guard has shown. If the Lakers end this season with a title and Reaves continues to play at this level, he could genuinely threaten the legendary Wallace as the greatest undrafted player in the history of the Association.

Related: From undrafted to NBA stardom — Austin Reaves looks back on his "crazy" NBA journey after win vs. Dallas

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.