Cam Thomas has made his free agency demands clear to the Brooklyn Nets, and Austin Reaves is expected to get the deal he wants without the drama from the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the NBA offseason nears its end, the biggest free agency storylines are the restricted free agents who are yet to sign a deal. Cam Thomas, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Quentin Grimes dominate the headlines.
The Los Angeles Lakers inked Luka Doncic to a three-year extension, and LeBron James will play the final year of his contract in LA. After this season, James will be an unrestricted free agent, and Austin Reaves has a player option that he can pick up, although he is also expected to enter unrestricted free agency.
With money to spend next summer, the Lakers are expected to give Reaves exactly what he wants.
Austin Reaves’ next contract prediction has been revealed
Reaves averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season while shooting a solid 37.7% from deep. Behind James and Doncic, he is easily the third option on the team, although as James ages, he is expected to take over as Doncic’s co-star.
The Lakers, to their credit, have a history of treating stars right and are expected to pay Reaves.
“There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers,” predicted NBC’s Kurt Helin.
“Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in the Tyler Herro range of $30 million a year (and Herro is a good comp in a lot of ways). If Reaves shows this season that he can be a high-level scorer next to Luka Doncic and can step up his game in the playoffs, the Lakers gladly will pay that much to keep him.”
Last season, after Doncic was traded to LA and recovered from a lingering calf injury, Reaves posted 22.3 points and five assists per game, showcasing that he could share the floor with both Doncic and Anthony Davis.
For fans, there is little reason to lack faith in Reaves’ ability to remain solid, although the upcoming season is by far the most important of his career.
“If he struggles again in the playoffs, the Lakers — who will have a lot of cap space — may question whether that is the best way to spend their money,” Helin finished.
Cam Thomas wants exactly what Austin Reaves will get
While next summer’s salary negotiations between Reaves and the Lakers are expected to be straightforward, the same can’t be said for Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets.
Earlier this offseason, Thomas received a qualifying offer from the Nets worth $5.9 million after rejecting a two-year, $28 million deal.
Thomas wants to make the same as Herro (roughly $30 million a season), and the Nets understand his scoring ability but don’t see his value beyond that.
While Reaves will get paid like the fringe All-Star that he is, Thomas, Kuminga, Giddey, and Grimes are yet to seriously impact winning or take on the role of a true star. Reaves has proven to the Lakers that he is worth giving a big raise, and the unrestricted free agents are negotiating based on their potential.
