Austin Reaves’s breakout season last year with the Los Angeles Lakers certainly didn’t go unnoticed, even with teams from the Western Conference ready to make a move for him.
While the PG ultimately signed a 4-year deal with a $56 million contract to stay at the Lakers, he never wanted to leave. Later Reaves revealed how he had considered joining forces with Victor Wembanyama at San Antonio Spurs but eventually decided to stay with the LA Lakers instead.
Austin Reaves admits considering Spurs move
With the addition of French phenom Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs team had a lot of fans intrigued alongside players from other teams.
Austin Reaves was honest about having thought of joining the San Antonio Spurs on The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe podcast, as he envisioned the building of a new team around Victor for the upcoming season.
Reaves also added how Victor Wembanyama’s presence on the Spurs at least made the idea of playing in San Antonio Spurs intriguing. There had been rumors that Spurs alongside other teams might have come in with a larger offer, rumored to be more like four years, $100 million but eventually no such offer was put onto the table.
Reaves Stays in Purple and Gold with $56 million Lakers deal
Austin Reaves signed on the dotted line, which he described as a “dream” deal with a 4-year contract with a $56 million on pay wage with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Austin Reaves, who averaged 19.8 PPG and 6.1 assists in his last 11 games played a huge role alongside rookie partner Rui Hachimura and two powerhouses LeBron James and Anthony Davis. To even think about how once an undrafted free agent back in 2021 made this massive leap in his level of performance and contracts has certainly put him on the priority list for the LA Lakers.
Reaves had always displayed moments of brilliance from high school making it all the way to the NBA. Despite not being selected in the 2021 NBA Draft which was undoubtedly a setback for him, he refused to let it define his future. Instead, he took the undrafted route, signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. This decision would prove to be a turning point in his career. His work ethic to basketball IQ were seen in the team and gradually made a mark for himself in the starting 5.
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