The Lakers will most likely keep Rivers
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly don't want to lose Austin Reeves this offseason, even if it means they need to pay a pretty decent sum of money. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, regardless of whether other teams offer him a four-year, roughly $100 million maximum restrictive free agent contract, the Purple and Gold "will certainly match any offer for Reeves." Reeves has come a long way in two NBA seasons, and the free agent who was never drafted quickly became a player who could sign a nine-figure contract, which was a success.
In 2022-23, Reeves played in 64 regular-season games for the Lakers, averaging 13.0 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three-point range. His efficiency as a shooter and ability to pull away the defense are especially important as James and Davis continue to attract defensive attention.
However, in the playoffs, Reeves shines even more. The Lakers made it all the way from the playoffs to the Western Conference Finals, where he became the team's third-leading scorer, behind James and Davis. In the playoffs, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He never seemed to back down, and even in the Western Conference Finals, swept by the Nuggets, he was one of the team's highlights. He scored more than 20 points in three of his four games and caused problems for the team that ended up winning the championship throughout the series.
The 25-year-old is in his prime, having been an indispensable core player for the Lakers last season. Retaining Reeves is crucial if they want to maintain their core roster and continue to build continuity after the impressive second half of the season and playoff runs.
