(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
After concluding an incredible second season with the Los Angeles Lakers, guard Austin Reaves was eligible to sign a new contract with the team as a restricted free agent.
With Reaves making such an impression as an undrafted free agent who was able to become a starter alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the 25-year-old was expected to get a considerable pay raise because the Lakers didn’t want to lose him and were willing to match offer sheets from other teams.
The consensus was that a team like the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets would offer Reaves a massive deal, even if it were to get the Lakers to be forced to pay him more than they wanted to pay him.
Unfortunately for Reaves, the offer sheets didn’t come, but he still inked a deal worth $54 million over the next four years, which he told ESPN’s Zach Lowe that he’s completely content with, via Legion Hoops.
Austin Reaves:
“It’s hard to be mad at making $54M. That’s way more money than I ever thought I would make, especially playing a kids sport for a living.”
(via @ZachLowe_NBA, https://t.co/HRW0WCSVnt) pic.twitter.com/gzH8DwwExd
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 26, 2023
Even though Reaves didn’t get the massive contract he was hoping for this summer, he knows he’s still winning and headed in the right direction while now being a household name in Los Angeles.
With Reaves’ long-term future secured, he’ll try to take the next step during the 2023-24 NBA season, where he’ll likely be a starter right out of the gate at the shooting guard position for the Lakers while playing a significant role in the team’s hopes of being a legitimate title contender in the Western Conference.
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