NBA Insider Reveals The Baseline For Austin Reaves' Next Deal

Austin Reaves is off to an incredible start this season, and in the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, he's taken his game to another level. Through five games thus far, Reaves is averaging 34 points a game to go along with six rebounds and 10 assists a night, with the Lakers sitting at 3–2 in that time.

Despite James being the face of the team for the past five years, with the arrival of Doncic and the emergence of Reaves, many believe the power dynamic within the organization has now shifted. That could mean the franchise is looking to build around Doncic and Reaves, but this coming offseason, the latter is set to become one of the most coveted players on the free agency market. 

Now, ESPN Insider Tim Bontemps has revealed the baseline for a Reaves extension, with the belief being that, at the lowest, the deal will come in at $30 million per year.

“The belief around the league is that $30 million per year is the absolute baseline for Reaves' services.”

However, if he can keep playing at a 30/10 level, Reaves could become one of the highest-paid players in the league, especially if a bidding war ensues for the formerly undrafted guard.

Ultimately, Reaves has been an incredible performer for the Lakers thus far in his career, and if he keeps up his play at this level, there's no reason why he won't be one of the top free agents in the NBA this upcoming summer.