NBA

Rumors On Austin Reaves Say He Could Earn More Than Alex Caruso Did In Free-Agency

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As LeBron James gets older and Anthony Davis misses time for LA, the Lakers are going to continue to struggle. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and have fallen to thirteenth in the Western Conference. Consistency has been an issue for the team this season, but one player has been a good surprise for the Lakers. Second-year pro Austin Reaves has already been rumored about free-agency and some speculate that he could earn more than Alex Caruso did just a few years ago. 

The Lakers are in search for some kind of consistency this season and Reaves has been a small sample size of that. He’s one of the better three-point shooters on the Lakers this season knocking them down at 38 percent from deep. As the season progresses, we’ll have a better understanding of what his value could be in free-agency next summer.

At 14-21 the Lakers are fifth in the Pacific Division and would need to play close to perfect basketball to climb up the rankings. That’s likely to not happen as long as Anthony Davis is out. California betting sites have the Lakers at (+3300) to win the Finals this season.

Could Austin Reaves really earn more than Alex Caruso did in free agency?

Reaves was an intriguing undrafted rookie for the Lakers last season who has stepped up into a bigger role this season. He added some muscle in the offseason and has been willing to drive to the basket for contested shots rather than just shooting jump shots all the time. His (29.1) minutes per game this season are the fifth most on the team and he’s only started in 10 games. Clearly his head coach Darvin Ham has trust in the young player.

What’s really drawing the attention to Reaves is his improved three-point shooting. His rookie season he shot 31 percent from deep and has bumped it up to an outstanding 38 percent this season. He’s taking about (3.3) three-pointers a game. The 24 year old has drawn comparisons to former Laker and NBA champion, Alex Caruso. Some speculate that he could even earn more than Caruso did in free-agency.

“From what I’ve heard on that, it’s going to be more than Caruso money, that’s for sure,”… “It’s going to be double digits.” – Jovan Buha of The Athletic

When Alex Caruso left the Lakers for free-agency in 2021, he earned a four-year $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.