Lakers News: Insider Projects Free Agencies Of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves and power forward Rui Hachimura have emerged as probably the team's best two players not named LeBron James and Anthony Davis in these playoffs. Even though LA's prospects of winning its 18th title this year are on life support after a disappointing Game 3 showing at home, the future of some of its new young role players looks plenty promising.
Reaves and Hachimura are both restricted free agents this summer, which means the Lakers front office will be able to match any offer tendered their way, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski indicated on his show The Woj Podcast that he's confident Los Angeles GM Rob Pelinka will do just that.
“I don’t see any scenario where the Lakers would not match on both,” Wojnarowski said. “They have to… They’ve proved themselves to be win-now players with LeBron and Anthony Davis on their timeline (and) these are both starting-level players."
Reaves and Hachimura have been two bright spots for LA this spring, as has another impending (unrestricted) free agent, reserve point guard Dennis Schröder.
The uneven play of starting point guard D'Angelo Russell and reserve swingmen Lonnie Walker IV and Malik Beasley, plus the health issues of (mostly theoretical) 3-and-D reserve center Mo Bamba, who all are either set to be unrestricted free agents or have team options for the 2023-24 season, make their futures in Los Angeles a bit more tenuous.
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