Austin Reaves was quite a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers during the team’s 2022-23 season. Reaves started the season as someone casual fans had a hard time recognizing but finished the campaign perhaps already a household name, at least among Lakers fans.
Although the Lakers got swept by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, that’s not a reason for Austin Reaves to be on a high while reflecting on the series he just had with Los Angeles.
“Honestly I’m proud of myself … high school I didn’t have many offers … to be on this stage and perform … it feels good,” Austin Reaves said following the Lakers’ 113-111 season-ending loss to the Nuggets at home Monday night (h/t Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet).
Reaves was among the Lakers’ top performers in the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals. Over those four games against the Nuggets, Austin Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from behind the arc. On the strength of his outside shooting, Reaves managed to post an incredible 68.6 effective field goal percentage and 73.8 true shooting percentage versus Denver.
The Lakers signed Reaves to a two-year deal worth $2.49 million in 2021, so he could be hitting the free-agent market by the end of this season. As a restricted free agent (with a qualifying offer this year worth $2.189 million), the Lakers have the right to match any offer Austin Reaves would get from another team, one that’s expected to be way more than what he’s made so far with the Lakers.
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Courtesy : https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-austin-reaves-reflects-on-breakout-playoffs-after-big-series-vs-nuggets