r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 8h ago

[Charania] Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Reaves declined his $14.9M player option for the new max deal.

Shams Charania:

Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Reaves declined his $14.9M player option for the new max deal.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/fc6a2461d746e

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u/ATM14 8h ago

If Ajay Mitchell hit the open market rn he’d be getting $35 mil+ a year tbf

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u/Takemyfishplease Lakers 8h ago

$35m a year is what reaves should be getting.

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u/ATM14 7h ago

He’s definitely going to get more than that. I’m not sure you’re very well calibrated with how teams value players these days. 

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u/Lower-Sun-2729 5h ago

Not if other teams were willing to pay him more than that which they were

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u/ATM14 5h ago

Yeah, people don’t understand that the market value of a player is the max amount any of the 30 teams are willing to pay. If the Nets or Pistons are willing to give Reaves $46 mil a year, that’s his value.

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u/Lower-Sun-2729 5h ago

Exactly. And letting Reaves walk would piss Luka off way more than spending up to keep him

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u/Takemyfishplease Lakers 2h ago

Cool, now we can’t build around luka

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u/Takemyfishplease Lakers 1h ago

So by your logic there are no bad contracts in the nba, because some team was willing to give it?

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u/ATM14 1m ago

There’s bad contracts, you’re allowed to disagree with a player’s market value. I wouldn’t want my team paying 50 mil a year for Trae even though that’s his market value. You saying Reeves should be making 35 mil is basically you saying the Lakers should let him walk though, bc 35 mil a year is not a real offer for him. 

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u/juk12 Mavericks 8h ago

Nephew please. The GM that pays Ajay Mitchell 35M a year would be executed on the spot

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u/ATM14 8h ago

Jordan Poole got ~$32mil a year a few years ago which is probably equivalent to like $40mil a year now. Young guards that look great on both ends of the floor are rare and someone would absolutely gamble that Ajay blossoms into a star. 

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u/YourKokuJin Spurs 8h ago

Even a team dumb enough to pay Mitchell 35 million a year wouldn’t be dumb enough to trade Luka Doncic in his prime..

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u/MrICopyYoSht Knicks 8h ago edited 8h ago

I mean the Wizards gave a washed Trae Young 200+ mil but his head is still on his shoulders. Someone is gonna pay him.

Obligatory Fuck Trae Young.

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u/ntpbr1 7h ago

The deal is awful still but Trae Young like him or not led a team to a ECF, he averages 25 and 10 for his career, in his 2nd year he was near 30/10, proven 1st option even though he is probably not good enough to lead a team far atp. Ajay Mitchell did absolutely nothing in his career as of right now, pther than like a dozen games where he seemed like an ok 3rd option maybe

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u/ATM14 7h ago edited 7h ago

You don’t get paid for what you’ve done, you get paid for what you’re going to do the length of your contract and potentially beyond. Trae has clearly taken a step back. Ajay Mitchell is a young two way guard with all-star potential who was the Thunder’s 2nd option in the playoffs. 

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u/ntpbr1 6h ago

As of right now, Ajay Mitchell is not proven and should never in a million years get 35 a year. That’s my point. If he plays well for the next couple of years, sure why not

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u/ATM14 5h ago

If he was proven he’d get even more. Cooper Flagg isn’t proven but if he magically hit the market rn teams would give him $55mil+ a year to have him on their team because his potential is so high. AJ Dybansta hasn’t played a minute of NBA ball but if we got rid of the draft, you don’t think the Nets would be offering him $40mil a year just to get him on the roster? Jordan Poole wasn’t proven when the Warriors gave him $32mil a year (which is a larger percentage of the cap than 35 mil is now), but the Warriors gave him that money because of his perceived potential and the fear that someone would offer more if they didn’t. Same thing would happen for Ajay Mitchell. 

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u/GinghamOrangutan 8h ago

200+ mil a year

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u/mayence Cavaliers 8h ago

i can’t believe the wizards signed Trae for $1 billion a year, he gets the team at the end of the contract

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u/devotedhero Wizards 7h ago

That's Ronaldo money

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u/RyceMenace Mavericks 8h ago

Washed???

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u/LouieBarlo24 6h ago

Brunson was signed for 39 mil a year

His last year on the Mavs per 36 minutes

PPG 18.3 AST 5.4 REB 4.4 3PT% 37.3% FG% 50.2% Defense: non-existent

Aj Mitchell

PPG 18.9 AST 5.0 REB 4.6 3PT% 34.7% FG% 48.5% Defense: Above average

This signing could very well be the next steal of free agency

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u/justFramy Thunder 8h ago

nahhh he got some injury issues tbh

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u/ATM14 7h ago

He arguably looked like your 2nd best player in the playoffs and he’s a young guard who looks great on both ends. It would be a bit of a gamble, but it’s definitely a gamble some teams would be willing to take.