Another bad Lakers mistake is in the spotlight as Austin Reaves thrives
By Jason Reed
Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office have not made the best decisions in the last few years. While it has not been all bad, there have been some really questionable decisions that would warrant most GMs getting fired. Instead, Pelinka got an extension.
Whether it be giving up on players too soon or missing the chance to bring in a truly impactful player, Pelinka hasn’t showcased the best ability to maximize the talent on the roster.
That being said, there have been some huge hits for Pelinka, particularly on this Lakers team. Lonnie Walker IV was a signing that not a lot of people agreed with for the TPMLE and he has been a revelation for the Lakers this season. There’s also Austin Reaves, who has been doing his best Alex Caruso impression this season.
Unfortunately, there is still a bad side to a really good thing. Reaves balling out for the Lakers has been an extremely welcomed site, but it also spotlights another mistake that the front office made that was extremely avoidable.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a very foolish mistake with Austin Reaves contract.
Los Angeles signed Reaves to a two-year contract prior to the 2021-22 season. At that time it was clear that the team did not fully believe in the undrafted rookie despite all of the hype around him. Reaves’ salary was not even guaranteed for the 2022-23 season.
Now Reaves is playing far above what he is making and is raising up his price for free agency next summer. The Lakers are going to have newfound cap space and are going to have to spend a decent chunk of it on retaining Reaves when they really did not have to do that.
The Lakers had the ability to sign Reaves to a three or four-year contract in order to lock up a young player for longer. Even if they were not fully confident in Reaves being a long-term option, they could have attached a club option to the third or fourth year that would have given them insurance.
Instead, the team did no such thing and is letting Reaves his the market as a restricted free agent over the summer. Los Angeles has the right to match any offer that Reaves agrees to but that is only going to increase his price.
Even when the Lakers get things right they still get part of it wrong, which is why this roster has had very little consistency over the last three seasons. Hopefully, the team won’t get priced out on Austin Reaves and will be able to bring him back at a decent price.