Austin Reaves has been one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA for quite a while, comfortably outperforming the salary figure attached to him. Despite that, the star guard is not expected to seek reparations for those lost dollars. The Los Angeles Lakers should not be worried about a shakedown.
That is the prevailing thought from Dave McMenamin, at least. The ESPN reporter offered an inside look at the situation in Los Angeles, reassuring all those who want to see Reaves remain with the Lakers that finances should not create a big dispute between the two sides.
McMenamin wrote, "Reaves is not obsessed over earning every dollar possible on his next deal, sources said, but knows there is a range based on industry standards. ... 26-year-old Jordan Poole and 25-year-old Tyler Herro, signed contract extensions ... that pay them 20 percent of the cap."
McMenamin went on to explain that with the growth of the NBA since, and the extra money coming from a massive television rights deal, 20 percent would be around $33 million in the upcoming 2026 offseason. That exact figure could be considered a massive bargain for the Lakers.
Every indicator has pointed to Austin Reaves making things easy for LA
Every time there is an update about the looming free agency of Reaves, it always feels like it has the same underlying message. That would be the idea of the Lakers star wanting to stay put in Los Angeles.
It was not too long ago that Reaves discussed being willing to do anything the Lakers needed to push for a championship. The 27-year-old also admitted to preferring a competitive future for himself over a situation where he gets to chuck shots, put up numbers, and be an All-Star on that basis.
When Reaves was making his huge statistical leap at the start of the season, it got some people thinking. Perhaps a bigger role on a different team would suit AR15 better than his current circumstances with the Lakers.
That idea was shut down by Marc Stein. The NBA insider explained during an appearance on the ALL NBA Podcast there was 'no sense' that Reaves was thinking about any destination other than Los Angeles. The talented offensive guard wants to continue donning purple and gold. That sentiment remained the same even with rival teams monitoring the situation.
Anyone expecting something other than that outcome are likely to be massively disappointed next summer. Not only does it sound like the union is expected to continue, but it may still turn out to be financially favorable for the Lakers.