The front staff had a lot of work to do during free agency after a late push helped the Los Angeles Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals. some players’ contracts were scheduled to expire, but the Lakers had stated their intention to keep some of their own players heading into the summer.
Several players, including D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves, signed new contracts with the Lakers. However, one of these signings received more attention than the rest.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Reaves’ contract was incredibly beneficial. In fact, according to Lowe, the Lakers may have gotten one of the finest deals in basketball this summer. Here are his specific remarks:
“From a team standpoint, I believe Reaves’ contract has a chance to be one of the best in the league.” And the Lakers were really fortunate in that no one made them pay through the nose. And I know San Antonio was debating it and simply didn’t do it for whatever reason, and that’s a steal.”
NBA expert Zach Lowe weighs in on the Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of Austin Reaves.
This summer, Reaves agreed to a four-year, $53.8 million contract. However, there were other features inside the structure that may have influenced Reaves’ decision to remain in L.A.
Reaves received a player option for the final season of the contract, allowing him some discretion over his playing future in 2027, in addition to an average annual pay of $13.45 million. Furthermore, if Reaves is dealt, he will immediately receive a 15% pay boost due to the Lakers’ contract’s 15% trade kicker.
It’s a terrific deal for Reaves, even if there’s a feeling he might have earned more elsewhere, but as Lowe believes, the Lakers may have gotten the better end of the deal. In any case, the Lakers avoided losing one of their key players, as well as a fan favorite, and that should be considered a gain.
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