Rookie Austin Reaves joined the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2021. The current season is only his second season in NBA. But Reaves has become an integral part of the Lakers’ success in recent times. The squad was in deep trouble as they had a terrible start to the current season. They lost ten out of the first 12 games of the season. Furthermore, throughout the season, key players suffered injuries, and there was a lack of balance on the roster.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves emerged as an unstoppable force providing excellent support to Anthony Davis. The Lakers could not make the postseason if it were not for these four key players – LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves. However, except for Reaves, the other three players missed a lot of games due to injuries. Hence, the Lakers will want for Reaves to stay fit throughout the postseason. The Lakers might even think about building the future roster in the post-James-Davis era around Austin Reaves and Russell.
Austin Reaves Wants To Stay As A Laker Forever
As it turns out, the desire to stay together is mutual between the team and the player. Even Reaves has expressed his desire to play for the Purple and Gold for the rest of his career. He wants to end with the team with which his NBA career began. Speaking with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Reaves mentioned, “I have forever been a big fan of the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. I would really like to be a Laker for my whole career.” On the other end, Jeanie Buss, the owner of the Lakers, really wants Austin Reaves to stay. Finally, it will all boil down to the Lakers offering a $50 million contract to AR. He will be a restricted free agent when the season gets over.
The Lakers must be planning to extend his contract. The fans sure hope Reaves will stay hopefully with the Lakers for his whole career. However, there is no guarantee with the Lakers until the deal is extended between the two. After what happened with Alex Caruso, the fans are well aware of the possibility that the agreement may not be signed. Albeit, it feels different this time as the Buss family loves Austin Reaves so much. Reaves has really played a pivotal role in helping the Lakers reach the postseason this year. The fans were really upset after the Lakers could not make the postseason last year.
Lakers Face A Tough Challenge Of The Timberwolves
The Lakers will face the Timberwolves on Tuesday at their play-in round match. For that, not just King James and AD, but the Lakers will need Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Wenyen Gabriel, Dennis Schroder, and everybody to be at their best.
Clearly, they squad has come a long way to finish the regular season on a high note. Since the February trades, the Lakers look more potent than ever and might go all the way to win the finals. They are strong in defense and attack, as the players look like they have great chemistry.