The Los Angeles Lakers have watched Austin Reaves grow from an undrafted rookie to a player who is playing at a borderline All-Star level. Reaves had the best year of his career last season.
Setting career highs in almost every statistical category was great for him, even if he had a bad playoff series against the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
Reaves is going to be a free agent in a couple of years, and he is going to be in line for a massive raise if he continues to play at this level.
Reaves could get something in the ballpark of $30 million per year once he hits the open market, according to one executive. His skill set is something that other teams around the league covet.
The Lakers would love to keep Reaves for the long haul, but they aren't going to be able to offer him as much money in a contract extension as he can get from the open market.
Reaves would be smart to play out his contract before looking at his options from around the league. Depending on what LeBron James does, the Lakers might have the cap space to keep Reaves.
Even though Reaves has some flaws on the defensive end of the court, his ability to shoot the ball from deep and his improved ability to find open teammates make him extremely valuable at the shooting guard spot.
Reaves is going to be very sought after when he does hit the open market since he will be firmly in his prime. The Lakers are hoping to keep him, but they might have to trade him.
If Reaves makes it clear that he won't re-sign with the Lakers, Los Angeles is going to shop him around so that he doesn't leave for nothing. They would likely only send him to a destination he wants to go to.
This past season, Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He shot 46 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
