One of the biggest decisions surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is the free agency of Austin Reaves. The 28-year-old is expected to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent, coming off of his best NBA campaign despite some injury troubles.
All signs have pointed to the Lakers retaining Reaves at a significant salary raise, but the questions are what that dollar amount will be and if potentially he could be a part of a sign-and-trade agreement to land the Lakers a different star. Lakers champion Robert Horry gave some advice to Reaves going into the most important summer of his career.
“I think with Reaves, he has to do what is best for him,” Horry said on ESPN LA Radio. “Sometimes fans forget that. We want him to stay, but at the end of the day, it’s his life. He has to do what is best for him. Let’s say some team is going to offer you $180 million, and the Lakers are going to offer you $120 million. That is $40 million.
“I know Austin very well, he ain’t the sexiest guy so he ain’t gonna get those off-court endorsements. So he’s got to make up that $40 million… I love AR. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you.”
It’s unlikely that the Lakers would give Reaves an offer at $120 million, but Horry is correct that if the Lakers are going to do so, he should go get more elsewhere. The point of free agency is that the player has the opportunity to do what’s best for themselves, and not the franchise he most recently played for.
Fortunately, it seems that the best resolution for all sides is a return to L.A. for Reaves. However, free agency is still one month away, and plenty can change on both sides in such a significant time frame.
Nets are bidder to watch for Austin Reaves
The Lakers can pay Reaves any amount they want, all the way up to his five-year maximum of $239 million. It’s unlikely he’ll get that amount, but the Lakers’ hand may be forced if a team like the Brooklyn Nets come in and offer him the maximum that they can, a four-year deal worth around $180 million.
They are seen as a bidder to watch for Reaves, but it’s unclear if that rumor has validity, or if it’s a leverage play by Reaves and his team to maximize earnings.
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