1. Austin Reaves
The most obvious choice for No. 1 is the player whom the Los Angeles Lakers wisely signed at a fraction of his present-day value. Austin Reaves is entering the second season of a four-year, $53,827,872 contract and is set to make less than $13 million in 2024-25.
With a salary that absorbs less than 10 percent of the salary cap, Reaves playing on a team-friendly deal is one of the biggest reasons Los Angeles has any financial flexibility whatsoever.
Reaves immediately justified the Lakers' investment in 2023-24 by producing the most productive season of his NBA career. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game, which were all the best marks of his three-year tenure.
Reaves also maintained a respectable level of efficiency, recording a slash line of .486/.367/.853, and committed just 2.1 turnovers per game with the increase in role and playing time.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Reaves playing on a bargain deal is one of the primary reasons Los Angeles has a chance to silence its critics. If he continues to improve, then the value-to-contract ratio would grow from bargain to outright steal.
The Lakers are tied up in lucrative contracts, but with Dalton Knecht, Reaves, and Christian Wood, the potential exists for three crucial bargains to help pace the team to a better season in 2024-25.