Austin Reaves made quite a name for himself last season for the Los Angeles Lakers. So much so, that there has been talk about the incoming second-year shooting guard securing a starting spot for LA this coming season.

Speaking on a recent episode of his HoopsHype podcast, NBA insider Michael Scotto talked about the buzz surrounding Reaves. According to Scotto, the Lakers really like what they've seen from the young guard thus far:

“I asked one NBA coach about Austin, and he told me, ‘Austin Reaves is really good and better than I thought,” Scotto said. “He’s versatile. He’s a good on-ball defender. He makes the right play offensively. He finds ways to impact the game and do the little things to help.'”

Reaves is currently on a two-year deal that will expire at the end of this coming season. It seems that the Lakers want to keep him beyond this year. For his part, though, the former Wichita State and Oklahoma standout seems to be positioning himself to demand a pay hike once he enters contract extension talks with the team:

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“From everything I’ve gathered, he’d obviously like to stay in LA and get a pay raise, and the Lakers would like to keep him.”

Austin Reaves is set to pocket just $1.6 million this coming season, which is considerably low for a starter of the Lakers. Even if Reaves ends up coming off the bench (the arrival of Patrick Beverley may have complicated things), there's no denying that he deserves to get paid much more than what he's currently earning.

At this point, it appears that both parties are aligned with their objectives, so it seems that it's just a matter of agreeing on a number.