Austin Reaves has been part of the Los Angeles Lakers since 2021. The same year Reaves went undrafted. Later, the Lakers signed a two-way contract with him. Since then it has been a couple of years, and AR has just blossomed into this emerging superstar. Other than Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Austin Reaves is another big reason that the Lakers have come this far to the round 2 of the playoffs.
The squad was nowhere near the top six as of late February. But in a month’s time, the fortune changed for the purple and gold. The Lakers were all of a sudden hunting for a top-six finish. But it was not meant to be. Nevertheless, the LA side fought their way to the play-in and reached the playoffs. And in that, AR has his respectful share. He has shown such immense growth, and he is only in his 2nd NBA season. Not just that, the Lakers’ Faithful does not want him to move to other teams.
Austin Reaves Wants To Stay With The Lakers All His Career
However, the fans are scared after what happened with another promising talent Alex Caruso who was part of the Lakers for four years. But later, in 2021 became a free agent. At present, Caruso has been playing for the Bulls since 2021. The Lakers fans definitely do not want the Lakers’ front office to repeat the same mistake. Moreover, Austin Reaves expressed his desire to stay with the Lakers. But in exchange, he wants a big paycheck. However, it seems like the Lakers might not be able to pull that off.
Reaves, on many platforms, has acknowledged that “I’ve been a fan of the Lakers since the days of Kobe Bryant. I want to play for this franchise for my whole career.” But if other teams offer Austin Reaves a deal of $50 million a year, it can get a bit difficult for the front office. However, the Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said, “The desire is mutual. We want him to stay as well.” Pelinka added that these are the kind of players the Lakers want on their roster. For whom, the team comes first above individual accomplishments. The Lakers always wanted players like Reaves in their program. Now he has become a symbol for the DNA of the Lakers. However, before everybody starts worrying about what happens in the offseason, AR needs to help the Lakers win their 18th Championship, which all the fans are waiting for.
Lakers Need To Hold On To The Young Guns
The Lakers will meet the Warriors in the round 2 playoff series. The fans are waiting for a thrilling contest between King James and King Curry after a long time in the playoffs. Meantime, the fans are well aware of the value of the young guns of the current Lakers side.
Players like Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and so on have been instrumental in helping the Lakers reach this far. They are young and worthy assets for the Lakers in the future. But these players will become free agents in the off-season. If the Lakers are unable to keep them on the team, it might be a costly mistake by the front office of the team.
