Skip Bayless is famous as the worst critic of LeBron James. He has made a career out of it. But lately, the Undisputed Host has been changing a little bit. Mr. Bayless has been shocking the fans every now and then, praising James and saying why he deserves his 5th championship. The host even expressed his opinion towards the Laker’s off-season activities.

On one of those rare occasions, Skip Bayless mentioned that the Lakers impressed him. The front office plan to build the future rosters around Austin Reaves. However, if the Lakers had to trade him, then they would never achieve their future goals. But Rob Pelinka did a great job of retaining him. He made the Lakers Nation happy.

Why Skip Bayless Feels LeBron James Has A Good Chance Of Winning His 5th Title?

Skip Bayless claims that he has never ever seen a player improve as much as Austin Reaves did. For this single reason, the Undisputed host feels the Lakers will win a title very soon. Bayless claims that AR has been the best player for the Lakers in the playoffs and especially against Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. According to the pundit, Austin Reaves deserved way more than the deal he got. Los Angeles Lakers signed him for four years worth $56 million. Hence, Skip Bayless notes that the best player for the Lakers in the conference finals will be the fifth highest-paid Lakers player for the 2023-24 season.

Other than Skip Bayless, many experts praised the Lakers for not going after big names but sticking to the players who helped them reach the WCF. It is indeed a good move. Moreover, Rob Pelinka mentioned several times that their basic goal was to keep the core together for the offseason. On top of that, Austin’s stay with the Lakers has made Skip Bayless predict that the 17-time champions can get the 18th next year. Moreover, the Undisputed host mentioned, “Lakers got Reaves very easily. AR deserved double the offer he got. However, Lakers clearly was ready to match any double deal that Reaves would get from other teams.” The intention to keep him on the roster and successfully doing it made Bayless feel that the Lakers are on their way to winning another title for themselves and LeBron James.                      

The Lakers Did A Great Job To Retain The Main Core

The LA side was in a bit of a fix lately regarding the players heading toward free agency. Austin Reaves impressed everybody in the 2022-23 season. The Oklahoma Sooners kid surprised everybody in his second NBA season with his high basketball IQ. But Reaves was a restricted free agent, and so was Rui Hachimura.

D’Angelo Russell was an unrestricted free agent. Moreover, the Lakers did not have enough cap space due to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The superstar duo’s contracts will end next year. But Austin Reaves proved to be the third most essential player in the team after the James-Davis duo. Moreover, Reaves can be the future leader of the Lakers.