The Los Angeles Lakers have some big decisions to make in free agency this offseason, with Austin Reaves being one of their two biggest question marks.
Before the June 29 deadline, Reaves has to decide whether he’ll pick up his $14.8 million player option or not.
The league-wide assumption is that Reaves would get much more in free agency. Therefore, he is widely expected to decline the option and test the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
The Lakers are expected to show plenty of interest in retaining their homegrown player. The former NBA champion with the Lakers, Danny Green, is hopeful that Reaves and the Lakers can find a way to make it work.
Ex-Lakers Champ Gives Honest Take On Austin Reaves’ Free Agency
In a discussion with ESPN LA, Green pointed out that in a perfect world, Reaves would take on a Jalen Brunson-type deal, giving the Lakers a discount so they have more flexibility.
But the reality is that the situation is far-fetched.
“I am a big Austin Reaves guy. I think he’s very special, and in today’s market, he’s definitely worthy of a max, right? So I know it’s tough when you’re trying to build a championship team,” Green said on ESPN LA.
“I think a lot of guys can learn from Jalen Brunson. And I don’t expect anybody to take a pay cut, but maybe in another place he could. I know this taxes in California a little steep, so it’s hard to take a cut in California, but I mean I would love for him to stay with the Lakers and be with Luka Doncic. It’d be fun to keep watching them grow together.”
Austin Reaves’ Lakers Run
For the past five seasons, Reaves has run with the Lakers. Since his first season, the standout sharpshooter has averaged over 20 minutes of playing time with the team.
Last season, Reaves appeared in 51 games. He shot 36.0% from the field, producing 23.3 points per game, and dishing out 5.5 assists per game.
Throughout his entire five-year run with the Lakers, Reaves has averaged 15.8 points (36.8% from three), 3.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.