The Los Angeles Lakers have given qualifying offers to major free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura in a bid to retain the talented duo for next season.
This allows the Lakers to match any contract that either player may get offered in free agency, starting on Friday at 6 PM.
OFFICIAL: The Lakers extended qualifying offers to Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. As a result of the qualifying offers, Hachimura and Reaves become restricted free agents. pic.twitter.com/8jqkyr0TvY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 28, 2023
The team has said that they will be willing to match any price to re-sign Reaves and Hachimura after their incredible contributions to the team last season, especially in the playoffs. Hachimura averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in the postseason and had some memorable performances that helped the Lakers pick up crucial wins against the Grizzlies and Warriors.
Reaves was easily the third-best player on the Lakers behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis during the playoffs. His season averages of 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists elevated to 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the playoffs, as Reaves established himself as a player whose offense translates to postseason play well.
What Cost Is A Fair Cost Of Re-Signing?
Both Reaves and Hachimura will have suitors in the open market, with the Houston Rockets especially interested in getting both players to join them. The Lakers are willing to match any offer that comes in for Reaves, so it can be fairly assumed that he will be returning to the squad on a cushy contract, with a price of four years, $100 million being on the table.
Hachimura doesn’t have as wide a market as Reaves but could be a non-tax mid-level exception ($12.7 million) candidate for some teams around the league. Due to his price being far more stable than Reaves’, he can be expected to return to the Lakers as well.
These are necessary retentions for the squad, as the Lakers aren’t just building a squad to compete next season but also a squad that’s young enough to keep the flag flying high even after James’ inevitable retirement.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
