Austin Reaves just balled out in his playoff debut with 23 points to be the Lakers’ second-highest scorer in the team’s Game 1 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Reaves is going from strength to strength and becoming an extremely valuable player for the Lakers in the final year of his rookie contract. Utah Jazz insider Andy Larsen believes the 24-year-old sophomore deserves a 4-year, $99 million extension.
“I think Austin Reaves is worth the Gilbert Arenas max… About 4-year, $99M.”
I think Austin Reaves is worth the Gilbert Arenas max… about 4-year, $99M.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 16, 2023
Larsen recently was the subject of ridicule after he voted for Walker Kessler over Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year. Even if he was wrong about that, he isn’t wrong about Reaves playing up his value. Austin averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in his second season for the Lakers, finding a purple patch of form in his last 15 games, where he averaged 19.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds.
Thriving With Opportunity
With all the gaps in the Lakers’ roster throughout the year, Reaves has made the most of his opportunities to earn a starting spot on this squad. His performance against the Grizzlies showed why he has earned every opportunity he has gotten this season. He will be a catalyst of success for the Lakers in the playoffs.
His production exploded after the injuries that caused LeBron James to miss most of the Lakers’ games in the second half. Reaves has carried the Lakers’ to wins behind his hard-to-stop offensive game. If he keeps performing like this throughout the playoffs, he will make a strong case to get paid a bag in the summer.
Reaves is young enough for teams like Orlando, San Antonio, Detroit, Charlotte, and Houston to possibly use cap space and get him as part of their rebuild. The Lakers may not be young, but they cannot afford to let Reaves walk as they did with Alex Caruso in 2021, a decision the team still regrets.
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