The rapid development of Austin Reaves from an undrafted rookie into a player that’s being called a future All-Star has been surprising to see. The Lakers have once again identified and developed a prospect out of nowhere, with the franchise hoping they can keep him and not lose him like they did Alex Caruso.
Reaves isn’t just a great talent on the court but a fantastic person off the court. Matt Barnes revealed a story about how Reaves made Kobe Bryant‘s nephew cry by sending him a birthday message in the middle of the playoffs.
“Shaya Bryant, who is Kobe’s sister, hit me up and said that her son, Austin is his favorite player. She asked me, ‘Do you know Austin?’ I said, ‘I don’t know him.’ She’s like, ‘Please, you know it’s my son’s birthday.'”
Barnes then revealed what he said to Reaves to make it happen and what the kid’s reaction was.
“I’m like. ‘Sh*t. My and bro, I know it’s the playoffs, I know you’re focused, but Kobe’s nephew loves you.’ It was all cool, Austin sent me a birthday message and I sent it to Shaya. Her son broke down in tears. Shaya wanted me to personally thank you for that birthday message.”
https://twitter.com/shobasketball/status/1682102846420836352
Reaves made lots of people a fan of him with his development toward the latter half of the season. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the playoffs and proved that he can be a scoring option for the Lakers. He needs to find consistency and average 18-20 points next season if he wants to continue on the upward trajectory he’s on.
Austin Reaves On A Bargain Contract
Much was made of how Austin Reaves will be a free agent this summer, and some teams could try and tempt him with a contract worth $100 million. Thankfully for the Lakers, no team did that and he re-signed with the Lakers for the biggest contract he could, four years and $56 million. From being undrafted two seasons ago to $56 million is one hell of a step forward.
The Lakers will need him to play like he did in the last 20 games of last regular season for the entirety of next season. He’s likely going to be the lead guard on the team, given the unpredictability of point guards D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent. He has to take this opportunity and run with it, as his development may be key to the Lakers’ championship aspirations next season.
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