Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Austin Reaves has improved every year and is a wonderful success story not just for the Lakers, but for every undrafted player.
Thanks to his improved play each season, he was set for a big payday. While it was reported that the Lakers negotiated hard with Reaves, in the end, he agreed
to a four-year, $185 million deal.
This makes Reaves a max player and the clear No. 2 for the franchise. Retaining him was always the best-case scenario, but did they nail the contract?
For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we ask fans if the Lakers got the signing right when you look beyond the sticker price.
With reports indicating the Pistons were interested in offering Reaves a deal, perhaps all that matters is re-signing him and whatever that number ended up at is fine. After all, he is a max-level player and even if the ideal contract would be more team-friendly, players at Reaves’ level usually get paid what they want.
So, if that’s how fans are feeling, grading this as an A or a B is fair.
However, if you are skeptical that Reaves can truly be the No.2 without LeBron James on the Lakers to carry him when he falls, then maybe the deal isn’t one you like.
Not only did Reaves get a max contract, but he also has a player option for the final year. So, if it turns out he’s on a bad deal, he’ll likely opt in that summer, and LA will be stuck with the estimated $51.1 million bill. If he outplays that contract, he can opt out and get an even larger raise with the Lakers or another team.
It’s an interesting conversation, and we won’t actually know if it was a good contract for a couple of years. But what are your initial thoughts? Let us know by answering the poll above and leaving a comment below.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
