Down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers look done, and many of their fans have come to the realization that the team simply isn’t good enough to reach the NBA Finals, let alone win it all this year.
Perhaps there’s no shame in that — the Lakers as presently constituted were schlepped together just prior to the trade deadline, and a new roster like that simply isn’t supposed to win a world championship right away.
Los Angeles’ window for winning a championship could extend into next season if they’re healthy and if LeBron James is still an elite or near-elite player. But it will have some big decisions to make.
For starters, it will have to retain Austin Reaves, who has become a stud this year, and Rui Hachimura, who has been a major spark plug off the bench. Both will be restricted free agents this summer, and some fans are concerned the Lakers will pinch pennies rather than do what’s needed to keep them.
But according to Brian Windhorst, they simply will not let Reaves leave.
Via Bleacher Report:
“There’s no way they’re letting him walk,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported at the 21:31 mark of his Hoop Collective podcast Sunday. “Because they absolutely had egg dripping from their chin on letting Alex Caruso walk. And Reaves, let’s just be honest, he’s their third-best player.”
Reaves, an undrafted guard in his second year, averaged 13.0 points while shooting 52.9 percent overall, 39.8 percent from 3-point range and 86.4 percent from the free throw line in the regular season. So far in the playoffs, he has put up 16.9 points a contest on 45.9 percent overall shooting, 44.2 percent 3-point shooting and 88.7 percent from the charity stripe while coming up with several big fourth quarters.
Adrian Wojnarowski says the Lakers would match offers on both Reaves and Hachimura
It’s very possible Reaves will command as much as $20 million a year in free agency this summer, especially with how well he’s played in the postseason. In addition, Hachimura has had some big games, and he could easily command somewhere in the area of $15 million a year.
But ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is confident L.A. will match offers made to both key players by other teams (h/t Lakers Daily).
The Lakers are expected to match contract offers for Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura in free agency, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/Pai2VqLsV5
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 21, 2023
Keeping both men would be the starting point toward continuing the expected success the Lakers have had over the last three months.
