SET TO LOSE BELOVED STAR…
The Lakers have major decisions to make regarding their organization’s future once LeBron James eventually calls it quits to retire. Based on a new report from an insider, it sounds like Los Angeles is bracing for another player to leave the team once LeBron does.
26-year-old shooting guard Austin Reaves can opt out of his four-year contract following next year. He’s become a budding star and would have a healthy market should he decide to test the waters. That’s become more likely than not to happen.
“I would say it’s close to 50-50,” Buha said in his podcast, Buha’s Block, when discussing the chance of Reaves leaving. “I would lean probably 55 percent (he does) not (stay) because he can opt out after next season and I think he’s going to have a competitive market.”
His current contract is one of the league’s most team-friendly deals. He only carries cap hits of around $13 million, a steal for the Lakers. Thus, it makes sense that Reaves could want to earn a significantly larger payday after opting out.
On the season, Reaves is averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc. He’s established himself as a big-game player who has increased his scoring average every year of his career.
