Los Angeles Lakers and Guard Have 'Mutual Desire' to Work Out Extension

The Los Angeles Lakers are ready to commit to their promising young shooting guard. Speaking with Dave McNenamin of ESPN, head coach Rob Pelinka said there was 'mutual desire' between the Lakers and Austin Reaves to get a deal done this offseason.

If you caught that little Euro-step celebration between LeBron and Austin Reaves, you might want to read more about how James is a fan of the Lakers' second-year guard here: https://t.co/k37AOdbpy0
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 29, 2023

"There's a mutual desire," Pelinka said. "Those are the type of guys you want in your program - that it's team first, it's sacrifice everything to win a game, competition above individual stats. That's kind of what the DNA -- especially for our young guys -- that we wanted to represent. And he's an example of that."

Reaves has steadily seen his role grow since joining the Lakers in 2021 as an undrafted player, culminating in an effective first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies that included 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

Reaves is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason and could very well break the bank. The most the Lakers can offer him is a four-year, $50.8 million deal, and he could be in line for every penny of it. If the Lakers elect to tender a $2.2 million qualifying offer on Reaves, they'll also have a chance to match any salary offered by a rival team.