The Los Angeles Lakers' standout 27-year-old guard received positive financial news on Thursday.
Lakers' Austin Reaves gets $30 million contract update after recent news involving Tyler Herro originally appeared on The Sporting News
Austin Reaves wants to get paid like a star.
According to a report from NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin, the Los Angeles Lakers’ stud shooting guard is seeking Tyler Herro-like money from the organization.
Reaves will be a free agent,” Helin wrote Tuesday. “There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in the Tyler Herro range of $30 million a year (and Herro is a good comp in a lot of ways).”
Shortly after Helin’s intriguing insights, Reaves received a $30 million contract update from Lakers Insider Jovan Buha.
“People around the league are penciling him in to make $30-plus million this summer, whether it's with the Lakers or someone else," Buha stated. “I expect it to be with the Lakers. I expect him to re-sign on a multiyear deal. He wants to be a Laker for life.”
If the Lakers’ 2024-25 campaign had ended on Apr. 11 (after their regular-season finale against the Houston Rockets), Reaves would have had a more convincing argument to receive a big-time payday.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Oklahoma product took another massive leap in a Lakers uniform, showing he’s more than just a pivotal role player in the big leagues.
Reaves poured in 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, recording a 46.0% field goal percentage and 37.7% three-point shooting percentage.
Although it’s unfair to pin Los Angeles’ postseason struggles (as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference) on Reaves, the 27-year-old wasn’t the dependable wing the Lakers grew accustomed to earlier in the year.
Reaves contributed 16.2 points per contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves in playoff round No. 1, but his lousy shooting splits tell the whole story.
The undrafted guard connected on 41.1% of his field goals and 31.9% of his triples, which checks out, considering he wasn’t as confident of a tertiary playmaker.
Still, there’s no question that Los Angeles values Reaves, which will likely motivate them to provide the NBA cup champion with the money he’s asking for.
More NBA: Celtics officially sign two-time NBA champion ex-Warriors forward to assist Jaylen Brown
Category: Basketball
