The Los Angeles Lakers put together a very competitive squad after the NBA trade deadline. But even before LeBron James got a new supporting cast, Austin Reaves had already worked his way up the rotation.
‘Hillbilly Kobe’ became a fan favorite for his timely buckets and unmatched confidence and energy. He played his way into Darvin Ham’s starting lineup and was a huge factor in the postseason.
That’s why the Lakers will try and do whatever they can to retain him with a long-term deal. However, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the San Antonio Spurs could join the race to win his sweepstakes.
Spurs Could Pry Austin Reaves Away From The Lakers
“I think the Lakers are going to retain him,” Buha reported. “Obviously, their preference would be to sign him to the four-year, $54 million deal. I’ve heard that there are going to be multiple suitors out there in talking with people around the league. You mentioned Orlando and Houston. I’ve heard San Antonio could be a dark horse team that will try to poach Austin from the Lakers.”
“The Lakers are going to match any contract offer sheet that he signs up to that $100 million,” continued Buha. “The Lakers view him as the third-best player on this team if you look at the regular season and postseason he had. He stepped up big time and was basically an 18-5-5 guy with near 50-40-90 shooting splits as a starter for them. There were several factors as to why the Lakers made that second-half run, but chief among them — and maybe the biggest factor overall — was Reaves’ ascension.”