Austin Reaves had a coming out party for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, and it's rumored that re-signing the 25-year-old is the No. 1 priority for the team this offseason.
Although some executives believe Reaves is worth $80 million over four years, the most likely scenario is that he will get four-year, $54 million from the Lakers, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
Still, there is a chance that a team could come in with a $100 million offer to move the needle with a restricted free agency offer sheet.
“Once free agency unfolds, maybe some teams don't get guys they thought they would get with cap space. Could they make a bigger offer sheet and go up to that $100 million?” wrote Scotto on Thursday.
“That remains to be seen. The Lakers will have the opportunity to keep him. He's not even scratching the surface of his prime. He's only 25.”
Scotto believes that, if a team were to take a shot at him in free agency, it could likely be either the Orlando Magic or Houston Rockets, assuming James Harden doesn't return to his old team.
At the same time, The Athletic's Jovan Buha believes that the Lakers will match any contract offer sheet that he signs, up to $100 million, although his value could be more in the range of $80-85 million over four years.
“The Lakers view him as the third-best player on this team if you look at the regular season and postseason he had. He stepped up big time and was basically an 18-5-5 guy with near 50-40-90 shooting splits as a starter for them,” explained Buha.
“There were several factors as to why the Lakers made that second half run, but chief among them – and maybe the biggest factor overall – was Reaves' ascension.”
Both Scotto and Buha believe that the Lakers will retain Austin Reaves, and assert that he is priority No. 1 for Los Angeles this offseason.
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