Due to his impressive play recently, Austin Reaves may be pricing himself out of the Los Angeles Lakers future plans.
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to attempt to make their move up the Western Conference standings in hopes of securing a playoff spot (or at the very least a spot in the Play-In Tournament), it’s hard not to think about what could await this team during the offseason – a summer in which they will have some major decisions to make.
While most of the offseason headlines will focus on the likes of LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, and Malik Beasley, there’s an argument to be made that there’s another player on the Lakers roster that could warrant some much-warranted interest.
As a restricted free agent, Austin Reaves is a player that will draw plenty of interest on the open market. And there’s a growing chance that he could be playing his way out of the Lakers’ plans this offseason.
In what is turning out to be a breakout season for Reaves, he’s averaging 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 52 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. And he’s making waves across the league. According to a recent report, Reaves could end up signing a $50 million during the offseason.
Would the Los Angeles Lakers commit long-term to Austin Reaves?
With how well the Lakers have played since the NBA Trade Deadline (even without LeBron James for many of those games), there’s an argument to be made that the Lakers should run it back heading into next season – no matter how the team’s season ends in the playoffs.
However, that could prove to be difficult considering the Lakers already have big money tied to LeBron and Anthony Davis, and the fact that the team has to re-sign D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura, and make a decision on Malik Beasley’s team option.
That said, Reaves has been extremely valuable to the Lakers this season. You can make the argument that he’s been the third-most important player for the team this year. During the month of March specifically, Reaves is averaging 18 points and five assists on 56 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from 3-point range, including a 35-point outburst in a win over the Orlando Magic over the weekend.
If the Lakers can make a run in the postseason and Reaves plays a large role in doing so, it may be difficult for the team to let him walk during free agency. But it would require a huge commitment from the Lakers.