Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha believes Austin Reaves deserves an annual salary of $30 million, even if most fans don’t agree with the amount.
Reaves is eligible for a new contract extension this summer. The 27-year-old Los Angeles Lakers combo guard is entering the final year of his current contract, where he’ll make roughly $14 million this upcoming season. He has a $15 million player option for next summer, which he can trigger.
“I think he’s more of a 30-to-35-million-dollar-a-year player. If you look at some of the guys in that range, guys like Immanuel Quickley or Tyler Herro, I think Austin is easily in that class, and actually better than a lot of the guys in that salary range. Obviously, context and leverage are always factors here,” Buha said on Spectrum SportsNet.
“People around the league are penciling him in to make $30-plus million this summer, whether it’s with the Lakers or someone else. I expect it to be with the Lakers. I expect him to re-sign on a multi-year deal, and I think that’s the shrewd move for LA’s part. He wants to be a Laker for life,” he added.
Los Angeles Lakers News: Anonymous exec predicts deep playoff run after productive offseason
One anonymous exec feels that the Los Angeles Lakers improved because of their offseason acquisitions. This summer, the team signed Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton, and Marcus Smart to two-year contracts while handing extensions to Jaxson Hayes and Luka Doncic.
“They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center. They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart,” the executive told Lakers Daily via Fadeaway World. “I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively.”
“Everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss,” he continued. “He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.”
