LeBron James and the Lakers will not lose one of the best role players of last season since Austin Reaves will stay four more years with the Los Angeles franchise.
To prevent any other NBA franchise from taking Reaves, the Lakers they extended a qualifying offer to the shooting guard. However, it was no longer needed. Based on the report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Los Angeles team used a maximum contract in Early Bird rights to retain Reaves. That means they will pay him 56 million dollars for four seasons.
The Role of the University of Oklahoma Graduate he grew in his second season with the Lakers and his numbers improved from 7.3 points and 1.8 assists to 13 and 3.4, respectively. Court time didn’t increase dramatically as he only played five more minutes per game (from 23.2 to 28.8).
The development of Reaves has been incredible since his journey in the NBA began with a two-way contract and then one for the minimum before the 2021-22 season.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU:
- The largest contract for an undrafted player in the NBA Draft
- Victor Wembanyama signs his official contract with the San Antonio Spurs
What does the Lakers’ roster look like after the latest additions in free agency?
The Lakers have been one of the most active teams in free agency heading into the 2023 season. and so far, they’ve added Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish. Plus, they’ve retained Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura on franchise-friendly contracts.
For now, the Lakers roster would look like this:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| point guard | D’Angelo Russell | gabe vincent | Jalen Hood-Schifino |
| shooting guard | austin reaves | max christie | |
| small forward | Rui Hachimura | Cam Redish | taurean prince |
| power forward | Lebron James | jarred vanderbilt | |
| Center | Anthony Davis | Jason Hayes |
