Austin Reaves is in the midst of a busy offseason, but he still took a moment this week to offer his two cents on Anthony Davis’ new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Earlier in the week, L.A. signed Davis to a three-year, $186 million extension.
Davis will now receive $270 million guaranteed throughout the life of his deal running through 2028.
In a conversation with HoopsHype this past week, Reaves gave his blunt take on Davis’ new Lakers contract.
“Sign it,” he said.
“You got to, he’s Anthony Davis. People out there doubt him sometimes but he’s arguably one of the most skilled players in the league. He’s got incredible IQ to the game. He’s a joy to play with and a joy to be around, so as long as I can be around him for my career, the better I’ll be for it.”
Reaves also made it a point to describe how much he has learned playing alongside Davis and LeBron James.
“As far as LeBron, he never wastes a second he’s not asleep,” Reaves continued.
“He’s doing something to enhance his body or treatment to feel better, be better. He’s in the gym all the time. Just how to be a pro… And AD basically the same thing just how to be a pro, kind of learn on the fly.”
Obviously Davis comes with his fair share of injury concerns, but there is no denying his impact when he is on the court.
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 10, 2023
If not for him, there is no way the Lakers would have won their bubble championship.
And if Jeanie Buss can afford to give Reaves $56 million over four years, she can certainly afford to pay the Lakers’ franchise player.
Will Reaves and Davis ultimately justify their big pay raises during the 2023-24 NBA season? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
