Polarizing point guard Lonzo Ball randomly went out of his way to say Austin Reaves is not worth the money he’ll command on the free agent market this summer. Ball currently hosts a podcast and is without an NBA home after his Cleveland Cavaliers tenure went poorly this past season. However, the declining guard still felt confident enough to comment on the finances surrounding Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ball made the following comment on the Ball in the Family podcast:
“Nah, I’m not doing that. If (Austin Reaves) was on my team, he’s gonna be my fourth option. I got $150 million for him, and he’s taking that sh*t. Plays no [defense]. I keep him, but not for [$240]. I would trade him for Peyton Watson. If we got Luka, I’m cool on offense, honestly.”
A couple of bold comments showed that Lonzo holds little respect for Reaves by speaking so bluntly about someone he’ll have to guard if he gets another NBA job. Ball claimed that Reaves should be a fourth option and that Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets is a better player. The Lakers have interest in Watson, but they likely won’t be able to get him after paying Reaves his likely massive contract.
Understanding Lonzo Ball’s Comments About Lakers
Ball tried to back up his point by referencing how the Lakers’ roster construction will suffer from extending Reaves. One interesting point made was that Luka Doncic is good enough to lead the offense to make Reaves’ role a little less important for the Lakers than other teams.
Reaves does feel less impressive on a roster where Luka and LeBron James both need time to run their own plays. Defense also stands out as a flaw, and it is fair to argue that the Lakers should prioritize their second biggest contract for a more well-rounded player.
However, Reaves also showed his impact this season since the Lakers looked like they could hit another level when everyone was healthy on the court together. The improvements and offensive greatness of Reaves is too good to let him walk away for nothing in return based on money totals.
Why Lonzo Ball Is Getting Criticized For Comments
Ball being the one to make these points just opens him up to get insulted over his current career status. The comments do look bad since Reaves is a significantly better player now than Ball ever was in the NBA, despite being a much higher pick.
NBA teams expected Lonzo to become a superstar for many years, and he even got drafted above Jayson Tatum with the second overall pick. Injuries and a lack of progression caused Ball to fall to a reserve point guard over the past few years.
This season showed Lonzo unable to keep up with most opposing guards and getting waived by the Utah Jazz after Cleveland traded him. No team wanted to sign Ball before the season’s end, and his NBA future is in doubt. Someone falling out of the league questioning a 20+ point scorer getting paid just comes off in poor taste.
Lonzo Ball Says Lakers Should Not Pay Austin Reaves Big Money