What would it take for Austin Reaves to make his first All-Star team this year?

The Los Angeles Lakers have long been one of the most high-profile teams in the NBA, and this year is no exception. It seems that not a day passes by without Lakers news, whether it's from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, JJ Redick, Bronny James or even the team's recent trade for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

The NBA beat can sometimes feel like all Lakers, all the time, but there's one player who wears the purple and gold that always seems to fly under the radar. That player is Austin Reaves, who has been quietly putting together the best season of his career.

Reaves is often the forgotten man in L.A., but he's inarguably the Lakers' most important player behind AD and LeBron. He's third on the team in points and second in assists, and lately he's taken his game to an all-new level.

Reaves has been spectacular since Christmas, with averages of 29 points, 12 assists and 8.3 rebounds in three games. He tied his career-high in points with 35 against the Cavaliers on Tuesday in the Lakers' first game since trading away D'Angelo Russell.

The Lakers put up a fight but ultimately fell short to the league-leading Cavs, but Reaves' brilliance in his increased, post-Russell role bodes well for what Lakers fans can expect from him for the rest of the season.

The Western Conference is loaded with talent, especially in the backcourt, which makes it incredibly difficult to make the All-Star team as a guard. Reaves is making a strong case, but what does he have to do to get a spot?

NBA All-Star fan voting totals were released on Thursday

The NBA decides its All-Star starters by giving 50 percent of the vote to fans, 25 percent to players, and 25 percent to the media. That determines five spots in the East and five spots in the West, with the other seven reserves for each team being decided by the coaching staff of the team with the best record in each conference. As of now, it looks extremely likely that Kenny Atkinson's Cleveland Cavaliers in the East and Mark Daigneault's Oklahoma City Thunder in the West will earn that honor. Here are the latest fan vote totals, which were just released on Thursday:

As we can see, Reaves doesn't rank among the top 10 guards in the West in fan votes. Fan voting closes on Jan. 20, so no matter what the fourth-year shooting guard does, there seems to be no way he can make up enough ground to even sniff a starting spot.

Being picked by the coaches isn't out of the question though, especially if Reaves can continue playing like he has lately. Russell's departure has created even more of a need for ball-handling and playmaking in JJ Redick's offense, and Finney-Smith and Milton aren't the types of players to fill that role.

Reaves looked more aggressive with Russell gone, and the 13 free throws he attempted were his most since a November 1st win over the Raptors. His willingness to take the ball to the hoop also resulted in his second straight game shooting over 50 percent from the floor, but his assist and rebound totals show that he was contributing in more ways than just the scoring column.

Can Austin Reaves make the All-Star team?

Reaves is a tremendous complementary player, and he's playing under one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA. This makes him super valuable, but it also contributes to the idea that he's not a star. To make the All-Star team, he'd need to be selected over players like Ja Morant and De'Aaron Fox, the undisputed leaders of their team who have usage rates and stats that dwarf Reaves'.

It's going to be a tall order for Reaves to make the All-Star team this year, but his future chances are better. LeBron just turned 40, and most NBA insiders believe that he'll retire within the next year or two. Barring any other major roster changes, that would open up an even larger role for Reaves. If Anthony Davis opts out of his contract and leaves town after the 2026-27 season, Reaves could even become the focal point of the offense.

Reaves may not get a chance to play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 6, but his consolation is knowing that he's a major reason why the Lakers are in the thick of the playoff race as we near the season's midpoint.