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Surprising Austin Reaves contract detail confirms Lakers got him for a steal

By Cal Durrett

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after a three point basket during the third quarter in game one of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on May 02, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after a three point basket during the third quarter in game one of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on May 02, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves broke out in the NBA playoffs last season, leading to expectations that he would receive a big offer this summer. That, surprisingly, didn’t happen, and the Lakers were able to re-sign him to a perfectly reasonable four-year, $54 million deal. The Lakers certainly aren’t upset about how things played out, but new information from the Athletic’s Jovan Budha gives us further insight as to how they were able to retain him for so little.

According to Budha, the San Antonio Spurs, who had major cap space this summer, were considering offering Reaves up to $100 million over three or four seasons.

That would have resulted in him making $25 million or $33 million on average and matching that offer would have been a gut punch to the Lakers, who were already way into the luxury tax. Fortunately for Los Angeles, the Spurs opted to use that cap space by being the third team in several trades, allowing them to add picks in exchange for taking back players on big salaries.

Lakers: Austin Reaves could have one of the best contracts in the NBA.

The only real loser in this is Reaves, who will make $13.5 million on average over the next four seasons, as opposed to making double that, annually. Considering how well he played in the postseason and that most young players who participate with Team USA tend to take a big step forward the following season, Reaves could quickly emerge as one of the NBA’s best values.

That would be great for Los Angeles, which has traded most of its draft picks in recent years and in the near future, making it difficult for them to find cheap young players who exceed their contracts.

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However, Reaves went undrafted in 2021 and is now their starting shooting guard, with a chance to be their third-best player next season while only making slightly more than the mid-level exception. Had the Spurs offered Reaves $100 million over four years, the Lakers would have assuredly matched it, showing just how much they value him going forward.

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