What is Austin Reaves' contract with LA Lakers? Salary, duration, and more

LA Lakers’ shooting guard Austin Reaves has been a huge boost for the team off the bench in recent weeks.

Reaves missed a number of games due to a hamstring injury that he picked up during a victory over the Miami Heat at the start of the year. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Austin Reaves signed a two-way contract with the LA Lakers. This was followed by a standard two-year deal which will end at the end of the current season.

The LA Lakers have a qualifying offer that will see him play for them until the end of the season. The two-year deal saw Austin Reaves make upwards of $900k in his first year. This was followed by an increase of more than $600k which means that he will earn more than $1.56 million this year.

The deal translates to an average salary of around $1.2 million at the end of which Austin Reaves will be a restricted free agent. This means that the LA Lakers have an advantage if they want to re-sign him next season and much will depend on how the rest of the campaign goes.

Austin Reaves to play an important role off the bench for LA Lakers?

It is no secret that the Lakers have had constant issues since the start of the season. A campaign that was expected to bring about a title challenge is on the verge of being over even before the postseason. Still, there is plenty of hope with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis regaining fitness at a crucial point in the season.

Currently, 13th with a 28-32 record, the Lakers are very much in the reckoning for the Play-in tournament. They have won 3 of their last 4 games and have seen their new acquisitions make an immediate impact. The 24-year-old Reaves has shown tremendous improvement in his second season despite missing games due to injury.

He has started 12 games since the start of the season but can be expected to be used off the bench henceforth. Currently producing 10.6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in less than 28 minutes per game, Reaves is shooting at almost 60% from the field. The player will be looking to keep improving and increasing his minutes and is bound to generate plenty of interest if and when he enters free agency.

The player is highly valued by the front office, who were reportedly reluctant to include him in a trade package for Kyrie Irving, who eventually joined the Dallas Mavericks.