Fresh off the best season of his professional career, Austin Reaves continues his ascent. While his Los Angeles Lakers team bowed out in the conference finals to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets, Reaves, will join Team USA for the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.
Reaves is one of 10 players already confirmed for the roster. He joins Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans, Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets.
Reaves figures to be an effective option off the bench for Team USA, and he’s a natural fit as with his ability to fill various roles. He can play on and off the ball as a scoring option and be the initiator like he was alongside LeBron James with the Lakers. He’ll be able to do the same thing for Team USA, with guys like Haliburton and Brunson playing as primary playmakers for the first unit.
The 25-year-old is coming off a career year, averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a night on 53 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from three, and 86 percent from the charity stripe.
He also had a big postseason run, solidifying himself as the Lakers third best player, which included 21.2 points per game in the Lakers’ matchup against the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
In addition to his Teasm USA selection, Reaves will be the focal point of significant contract discussions as he enters unrestricted free agency. Reaves could command just under a $100 million contract somewhere in the range of a four-year deal worth a maximum of just under $98 million. The Lakers could match it, or they could pass. On top of that, Reaves and Chinese company Rigorer are finalizing a signature shoe deal that is expected to reach well over seven figures per year per Stadium’s Shams Charania.
Ahead of NBA free agency, Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Chinese company Rigorer are finalizing a signature shoe deal that is expected to reach over seven figures per year. Reaves on the new AR1: pic.twitter.com/B7WSCzGvri
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2023
For now, Reaves will focus on his role for Team USA and let[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368] everything else to fall into place.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.