A big key to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offseason will be retaining star guard Austin Reaves on a new contract. He will almost certainly opt out of his contract to become a free agent over the next few weeks, and per Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the two sides can begin negotiations on a new deal as soon as the day after the NBA Finals end.
There is some debate among Lakers fans about how much Reaves deserves to make on his next contract. He is eligible for a contract worth as much as $239 million over five years if he stays put, and according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Reaves and his representation want a max contract.
Former Lakers wing Danny Green said on ESPN L.A. radio that Reaves is deserving of a max contract.
“I am a big Austin Reaves guy, I think he’s very special,” Green said. “And his market, I think he’s very worthy of a max. I know it’s tough when you’re trying to build a championship team, I think a lot of guys can learn from Jalen Brunson — I know he’s made one other contract before he got his big one — and I don’t expect anyone to take a haircut, but maybe in another place he could? I know the taxes in California are a little steep, so it’s hard to take a cut in California.
“But I would love for him to stay a Laker and be with Luka, it would be fun to keep watching them grow together. But I think every superstar, right now it’s not Austin’s time to do that, he needs to go get paid, go get his contract, and maybe later on down the line take a haircut and say alright I want to build this type of group or team around me. But yeah, I would love to see him continue to grow, because each year he gets better and better and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for him next year coming up.”
Reaves averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 assists a game during the regular season, and he increased his scoring average for the fourth straight year. But he also underperformed somewhat during the playoffs after returning from an oblique strain, making it the second straight postseason his scoring numbers have dropped from the regular season.
There are concerns among fans about his disappointing play of late in the playoffs, his shortcomings on the defensive end, his lack of athleticism and even his durability (he appeared in 51 games this regular season and dealt with multiple injuries). But his ability to be a major scoring threat, attack downhill off the dribble and put pressure on the rim, handle the ball and facilitate is integral to the Lakers’ chances of becoming a championship contender, and replacing those skill sets won’t be easy if he leaves.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Danny Green on whether Austin Reaves deserves max contract
