Austin Reaves Re-Signs With Los Angeles: A Reliable Piece for a Contender

The Los Angeles Lakers did everything in their power to revamp the team while also keeping the players that helped get them to the Western Conference Finals. They re-signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $56 million maximum contract under the Early Bird rules.

Along with Reaves, the Lakers also re-signed D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura while adding Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince to the roster.

Will Reaves Continue To Grow?

Reaves gave the Lakers a huge shot in the arm in the second half of the season -- and eventually in the playoffs. The 25-year-old guard played with confidence for Los Angeles in the second half of the season. After the All-Star break, Reaves averaged 17.9 points and 5.5 assists while shooting .578 from the field in 30.4 minutes per game.

Los Angeles made him a starter, and he answered the call. In the playoffs, Reaves put up 16.9 points a game as well. His win shares per 48 minutes (WS/48) of .142 further all the more how good he was in his second season in the NBA.

The undrafted guard is still just finding his way as a player, and if he continues to grow for the Lakers as they expect him to after giving him this contract, the deal would be all the more beneficial for both sides.

Betting Odds Impact

Despite bringing back three of their key players from a season ago including Reaves and adding the likes of Vincent, Reddish, and Prince, nothing changed in terms of the Lakers' odds to win the championship next season. Los Angeles' +1500 remains the same following the signings while they did move a step back in terms of favorites. Heading into the weekend, they had the sixth-best odds of any team but are now seventh after the Miami Heat moved from +1700 to +1000. That's likely due to Damian Lillard asking for a trade with the Miami Heat being a top option.

The Lakers' pre-free-agency odds likely reflected that the likes of Reaves, Hachimura, and Russell would return to the roster and additions like Vincent, while good for the roster and its depth, aren't going to dramatically change much. Seeing that Reaves and Hachimura were both restricted free agents, the Lakers always had the control to retain the duo if another team came swooping in to grab them.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.