Austin Reaves Not Obsessed Over Earning Every Dollar Possible On Next Deal, Wants To Spend Entire Career With Los Angeles Lakers

Austin Reaves is not obsessed over earning every dollar possible on his next deal and wants to spend his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Reaves is expected to decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent after this season. The undrafted shooting guard is eligible to sign a five-year, $241 million deal with the Lakers or a four-year, $178.5 million deal with another team.

“I try not to think about it. Honestly. I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Austin Reaves told ESPN. “Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”

Reaves is off to a stellar start this season. He’s averaging 30.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game while shooting 48.0% from the field, 32.4% from beyond the arc and 88.0% from the free-throw line.

The Lakers are 8-3 despite LeBron James not having played a single game. Reaves and Luka Dončić, who have a close relationship, are averaging a combined 67.4 points per game on the season.

“I’ve always approached it as, do what you have to do to help the team,” Austin Reaves said. “So, obviously, I’ve taken steps and I’ve gotten better. The coaching staff has put more responsibility on me. But with them doing that to me, it just shows me that that’s what I have to do to help us. And obviously things will change when Bron gets back, but it’ll go back to, ‘What can I do to keep this train rolling?'”

Once James returns from his injury, the Lakers will start Dončić, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron and Deandre Ayton.

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