Following a late surge that helped the Los Angeles Lakers get as far as the Western Conference Finals, the front office had a lot of work to do during free agency. Several players had contracts set to expire, but the Lakers had indicated all along their plans to retain several of their own players heading into the summer.
The Lakers wound up reaching new contracts with several players, including D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves. But one of these signings wound up generating more love than others.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the contract Reaves signed was extremely favorable. In fact, Lowe indicated that the Lakers may have negotiated one of the best bargains in basketball this summer. Here were his specific comments:
“I think the Reaves contract has a chance to be one of the best contracts in the league from a team perspective. And the Lakers got very, very lucky that nobody made them pay through the nose. And I know San Antonio was going back and forth on it and just for whatever reason didn’t do it, and that’s a steal.”
NBA insider Zach Lowe on Los Angeles Lakers’ deal with Austin Reaves
Reaves was inked to a four-year, $53.8 million contract this summer. But there were other details within the structure that may have helped sway Reaves’ decision to stay in L.A.
In addition to receiving an average annual salary of $13.45 million, Reaves also got a player option for the final season of the deal, giving him some control over his playing future in 2027. Plus, if Reaves is traded, he’ll automatically receive a 15% increase in pay, thanks to the 15% trade kicker the Lakers included on the contract.
It’s a great deal for Reaves, even if there is a sense that he may have been able to get more elsewhere, but as Lowe insists, the Lakers might have gotten the better end of the bargain. Either way, the Lakers didn’t lose one of their impact players, and someone who’s become a true fan favorite and that should be considered a win too.