The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t made the best decisions in free agency in the last couple of years, but 2023 seems to be different. They have already re-signed Rui Hachimura and made three other additions to the roster that are sure to contribute in a meaningful way. They have also signed Jaxson Hayes.
Adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, and Cam Reddish makes it a solid free agency already. They should also be able to re-sign Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell. But even before that happens, Kendrick Perkins thinks the team is ‘winning’ free agency.
“This means that Rob Pelinka is doing his thing right now,” Perkins said on ESPN. “The Lakers right now, I know it’s early, they are winning in this free agency. They are winning right now.”
"Rob Pelinka is doing his thing right now and the Lakers … they are winning in this free agency."
—@KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/1IDJcXgdO4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 30, 2023
The Lakers have to shore up their roster and retain Austin Reaves, but if they do that, then their roster for next season is looking pretty set. As the NBA world learned during the 2022-23 season, giving LeBron James and Anthony Davis good role players results in a deep playoff run. And that’s exactly what Rob Pelinka seems focused on doing, which will surely only yield great results for the Lakers in the coming season.
Los Angeles Lakers Have Already Offered Austin Reaves The Maximum Contract They Can
Austin Reaves broke out for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in the playoffs. He was pivotal to the Lakers making a run to the Western Conference Finals. And re-signing him is the priority for the team. They have already done the best they can, offering a four-year, $52 million deal which is the maximum he is eligible for.
“The Lakers made an offer for four years, $52 million, the most that they could offer Austin when free agency began,” Buha said. “But he’s taking his time evaluating the market. I think Houston was a potential suitor, they just signed Fred VanVleet to the first max contract of the offseason, so I think you can probably check them off.”
Another team can still give Reaves a bigger bag, but the Lakers will likely match any offer for him. If no other team does reach a deal with him, though, then they could get him back on a bargain contract. If that happens, then it will be hard to disagree with Perkins that the Lakers are winning free agency.
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