Austin Reaves has enjoyed a remarkable rise at the Los Angeles Lakers over recent years, but if they're not careful the franchise is going to learn a brutal lesson that the Golden State Warriors learned with Jordan Poole a few years ago.
Much like Reaves now with the Lakers, Poole developed into a dynamic three-level scorer for the Warriors who became incredibly valuable as a supplementary offensive option to a franchise superstar. However, that value quickly dissipated once a major new contract kicked in.
Lakers face Austin Reaves lesson Warriors learned with Jordan Poole
Reaves projects as one of the more fascinating free agents heading into the offseason as the Lakers look to build around Luka Doncic. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps on Thursday, multiple scouts and executives are predicting a new contract in the range of five-year, $200 million for the 28-year-old.
Paying Reaves in excess of $40 million could be fraught with danger, much like paying Poole over $30 million has proved in recent years, albeit Golden State did well to recognize it and get out of the contract before it even started.
This is not to say Reaves' career will follow a similar downward trajectory as Poole has experienced in recent years, with the 2022 NBA champion falling to the point of being completely out of the New Orleans Pelicans rotation for significant periods of this season.
However, there is a drastic change in expectation that can alter your reputation once that big pay day arrives. Poole jumped from a rookie deal to an over $30 million extension, and now Reaves could make a similar jump from $14.9 million this season to over $40 million going forward.
Lakers already being urged to walk away from Austin Reaves deal
Golden State understood their mistake and dumped Poole in a trade with the Washington Wizards at the start of his contract, but now Los Angeles are being encouraged not to make the mistake in the first place when it comes to Reaves.
In the wake of the rumored $40+ million per year deal, Maxwell Ogden of Lake Show Life has suggested Rob Pelinka and the front office should consider walking away if that's what Reaves is chasing in free agency.
"Though Reaves has made remarkable progress during his NBA career, the Lakers must seriously consider walking away from the negotiating table if they must pay him $40 million per season," Ogden wrote.
If the Lakers do ultimately sign Reaves to a $200 million contract, it will be interesting to see how his reputation among the fanbase and the league changes as a result, and whether he ultimately plays out the entire length of that deal with the franchise.
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