The Los Angeles Lakers had one big priority ahead of the NBA offseason. They wanted to keep rising guard Austin Reaves at all costs, rewarding him for a very remarkable season.
Reaves broke out in the second half of the campaign, playing his way up Darvin Ham’s rotation and securing himself as a starter. Unlike what most people thought, the Lakers managed to secure him at a major discount.
So, now that they’ve secured one of their best young players for the future, it now seems like they want him to take some playmaking duties off LeBron James’ shoulders going forward.
Lakers Want To Run Their Offense Through Austin Reaves
“Reaves continued his stellar play into the playoffs, averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists on 46.4 percent from the field and 44.3 from 3 as a starter over the Lakers’ 16 games,” reported Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “The only players to hit those marks last postseason were Nikola Jokić, Devin Booker and Kawhi Leonard (though Leonard only played in two postseason games).”
“The Lakers plan on running more of their offense through Reaves next season, unlocking the point guard skills he’s flashed through his first two years in the league, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly,” Buha added.
Reaves will also represent Team USA in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, so he’ll have a prime opportunity to continue his development as a rising star. That contract could look like the ultimate bargain.
