Austin Reaves Might Have Played Himself Out of LA
Austin Reaves set himself up for a big payday this summer.
Image credit: Tom Pennington, Getty Images
The Austin Reaves Show
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers roster situation is largely unknown heading into the 2023 NBA offseason. Most of the roster is due for new contracts, with the most notable names being D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schröder, and Hillbilly Kobe himself: Austin Reaves. After averaging just north of 11 points per game (PPG) before the 2023 all-star break, Reaves broke out into the Lakers’ best player behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Reaves averaged over 18 PPG with nearly 50-40-80 shooting splits after the Lakers’ major midseason trades, which put Reaves amongst the elite company of shooters in the NBA. Additionally, Reaves took over much of the playmaking responsibilities from James and proved that he could carry the offensive load with his shot creation and IQ. Reaves showed he could play both on and off the ball while making sound decisions and scoring efficiently, two necessary skills when playing alongside LeBron James. But what does this mean for Reaves’ future as a Los Angeles Laker?
The Lakers Dilemma
First, Reaves is a restricted free agent, which means any team can offer Reaves a contract, and the Lakers have the option to match. Reaves should theoretically be the top off-season priority for the Lakers, but they still need the financial flexibility to resign Rui Hachimura and possibly either D’Angelo Russell or Dennis Schröder. Signing Reaves somewhere north of the four years, $50 million the Lakers can offer would severely restrict them in keeping Hachimura, Russell, and Schröder. Furthermore, based on Reaves’ stellar playoff performance, many teams might look to offer him a contract worth nearly four years, $100 million, which will put the Lakers in a tricky situation. If they match, they risk losing their improved depth; however, if the Lakers don’t match any offers for Reaves, they’ll likely lose him for nothing.
Austin Reaves may garner a poison pill contract if the Lakers match any offers during his restricted free agency.
Image credit: Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times
The Big Decision
How much is too much for the Los Angeles Lakers? Reaves performed so well that he earned a spot on Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in August, per Shams Charania. However, the real question is whether Reaves will be in one or two different uniforms by early July. His improved play will likely earn him a lucrative new contract, one that could play him out of Los Angeles for good.
Austin Reaves will play in the FIBA World Cup for Team USA in August.
