This Week in Lakers Basketball: LA Makes Deal With Authin Reaves, Drafts Cameron Carr
It’s been a busy week in the world of the Los Angeles Lakers, with a ton more to come within the next week involving free agency and potential trades.
It’s that time of the year.
The NBA Draft came and went, free agency opens up in 4 days, blockbuster trades are coming out of left field, and the Las Vegas Summer League is set to begin on July 9th.
Reaves Returns on 4-Year Deal
For the Lakers, perhaps one of the biggest questions of the offseason was answered on Wednesday, June 24th. Austin Reaves agreed to return to the Lakers on a 4-year, $185 million max contract. Austin came off a career year and has shown impressive progression in each of his 5 seasons.
Brian Windhorst from ESPN reported that the Lakers’ initial offer to Austin was around $30 million a year. NBA Insider Shams Charania also reported that the Detroit Pistons were prepared to aggressively pursue Reaves and were ready to offer him a max contract.
The Lakers feared letting him walk in free agency if a deal wasn’t made before June 30th and thus stepped up their offer.
Lakers Draft Cameron Carr
Then there was the draft, where the Lakers held the 25th pick in the first round. The Lakers traded their pick to New York for the 24th pick and drafted Cameron Carr, the 6’5 guard from Baylor. Carr was thought to be a higher pick than 24, and the Lakers were lucky to have the opportunity to get him.
Carr had an excellent showing at the NBA Draft combine, where he scored 30 points, shot 50% from the field, and made 6 of his 12 three-point attempts. The Lakers were clearly targeting athleticism, and they got it. Carr is a high-flying lob threat with the tools to become a great defensive player and shows the makings of an elite three-level scorer.
Lots to be excited about for LA!
There are still plenty of questions surrounding LeBron James’ future with the team, what happens with DeAndre Ayton, whether the Lakers will prioritize bringing back Rui Hachimura, what options are available at the center position via trade or free agency, how they will utilize and maximize their cap space, etc.
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