Austin Reaves must decide on his future with the Los Angeles Lakers after the season concludes.
He is putting up nearly 30 points and seven assists per game and has stepped into a larger role for the Lakers this year, which could complicate his contract talks in the summer.
Reaves has also moved ahead of LeBron James in the pecking order, becoming LA’s second option.
That kind of progress only benefits him but will make for some interesting contract talks come summer.
Gilbert Arenas advises that Reaves should carefully consider his NBA future when the chance to move on presents itself.
Gilbert Arenas flags contract issue for Austin Reaves
Reaves is widely viewed as one of the most undervalued contracts in the NBA, pulling in less than $14 million this season.
That figure is lower than Rui Hachimura’s $17 million annual salary and only slightly higher than what Jarred Vanderbilt ($12m), Gabe Vincent ($11m), and Maxi Kleber ($11m) are making.
He does have a $15 million player option for next season, but it is expected that he will opt out in search of a long-term deal potentially worth over $200 million.
Given how he is playing, there will likely be plenty of interest from other teams, but money is not the only factor Reaves will have to weigh up – staying with the Lakers means more than just a pay packet.
Arenas made his point clear during an episode of The Gilbert Arenas Show: “What I’m thinking about is: we see how Austin Reaves plays, and we know the money he’s demanding. The question is: who’s going to pay him to play the style he’s playing?
“That might be the only issue with Austin Reaves this summer. I think he’s going to have to be careful, as great as he’s playing.”
“I don’t think 20 to 30 is going to make a big difference. It’s about the team if he leaves the Lakers. If he stays, he’s going to be able to play this style because this is his team that he’s doing it on.
“If he leaves and asks for $200 [million], I don’t know how many teams would pay it, and where he still gets to play this way. Even if he makes All-NBA, I don’t know what team.
“Think about your favorite teams. Where is he going to go and get to shoot the shots he shoots? He might be one of the top five wildest shooters in the NBA.”
Luka Doncic’s presence could influence Austin Reaves’ next step
If Reaves decides to walk away from the Lakers, it will not be a huge shock, especially if another team is offering a much bigger deal. Still, from a basketball perspective, it might not be the best move for him.
The 27-year-old is currently one of the league’s top scorers and is being mentioned in All-NBA conversations, but he is not generally viewed as one of the 10 best players in the league.
That is partly because people understand how much he benefits from sharing the court with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Those two draw so much defensive focus that Reaves often finds himself with more room to operate than he would elsewhere.
If he moved to a team like the Brooklyn Nets, for instance, he would instantly become the main target for opposing defences.
That would make it far more difficult to maintain his current scoring numbers. In that case, staying alongside Doncic in LA might be the smarter play.
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