The Lakers have managed to save their campaign from a big failure. The team was reeling with injuries and a lack of balance in the roster. It was getting more challenging as key players missed games due to injuries. But there was no one to replace them. The squad needed to shuffle its roster. Later in February, they did right before the trade deadline. Some quality players came in, and the team looked balanced. With players like D’lo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba, the Lakers were all set to turn things around.
Albeit, in the new roster of the LA franchise, there is one player who has caught the attention of fans, but he is not one of the latest entries. His name is Austin Reaves, who has unleashed the best of his abilities since February. Reaves joined the Lakers back in August 2021 for a two-year contract. Reaves’s contract ends after this season as well. But he is gradually proving to be a very utility player for the Lakers. Many experts and fans suggest the Lakers should consider extending his contract.
The 24-year-old shooting guard from Arkansas is playing a significant role in helping the Lakers to stay in the top ten and even get to the top six, just a striking distance away from them at the moment. Austin Reaves is showing his class in both attack and defense. He is young and talented, making him an asset to the Los Angeles side for their future. When LeBron James will leave the Lakers or retire, they can depend on Russell and Reaves. The Lakers must be thinking about extending the contracts of both of these quality players. But the problem is if the Lakers don’t make a good offer, then Reaves may choose to be a free agent.
Lakers President Fighting To Keep Austin Reaves In The Squad
Looks like the President of the Lakers, Jeanie Buss, may not want Austin to be a free agent. Last month when there was a chance to buy Kyrie Irving from the Nets, the purple and gold brigade came pretty close. Lots of people were expecting an Irving and James reunion, but it just was not meant to be. The Brooklyn Nets wanted Austin Reaves in exchange for Irving. But Jeanie Buss did not entertain the idea of losing Reaves, which led the Nets to trade Irving to the Mavericks. Hence, it seems the Lakers would not like to let Reaves go after the end of the season.
Furthermore, it is safe to say that if it was not for Reaves, the Lakers might not land up with those quality players since the February trade deadline. In a team where LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the new D’Angelo Russell are the stars, the 24-year-old shooting guard also has a pretty good impact. In the previous 15 games, Austin Reaves has an average of 14.1 ppg, 4.3 apg. Plus, he is shooting 57.0% from the field. He is also shooting 45.8% of three-pointers. Jeanie Buss must be so proud of her decision to keep him on the roster. But the Los Angeles side is in deep trouble again, as they have lost back-to-back games. Only 11 games remain, so the LA franchise needs to find winning ways as soon as possible. The Lakers are currently the 10th seed with a 34-37 win-loss ratio.