Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves broke out within the NBA playoffs final season, resulting in expectations that he would obtain a giant supply this summer time. That, surprisingly, didn’t occur, and the Lakers had been in a position to re-sign him to a superbly cheap four-year, $54 million deal. The Lakers actually aren’t upset about how issues performed out, however new info from the Athletic’s Jovan Budha provides us additional perception as to how they had been in a position to retain him for therefore little.
In keeping with Budha, the San Antonio Spurs, who had main cap house this summer time, had been contemplating providing Reaves as much as $100 million over three or 4 seasons.
That may have resulted in him making $25 million or $33 million on common and matching that provide would have been a intestine punch to the Lakers, who had been already method into the posh tax. Thankfully for Los Angeles, the Spurs opted to make use of that cap house by being the third workforce in a number of trades, permitting them so as to add picks in change for taking again gamers on large salaries.
Lakers: Austin Reaves might have among the finest contracts within the NBA.
The one actual loser in that is Reaves, who will make $13.5 million on common over the following 4 seasons, versus making double that, yearly. Contemplating how effectively he performed within the postseason and that almost all younger gamers who take part with Staff USA are likely to take a giant step ahead the next season, Reaves might shortly emerge as one of many NBA’s greatest values.
That may be nice for Los Angeles, which has traded most of its draft picks lately and within the close to future, making it troublesome for them to seek out low cost younger gamers who exceed their contracts.
Nonetheless, Reaves went undrafted in 2021 and is now their beginning capturing guard, with an opportunity to be their third-best participant subsequent season whereas solely making barely greater than the mid-level exception. Had the Spurs supplied Reaves $100 million over 4 years, the Lakers would have assuredly matched it, exhibiting simply how a lot they worth him going ahead.
Revealed on 08/23/2023 at 3:00 PM EDTLast up to date on 08/23/2023 at 3:00 PM EDT
