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Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif
While this latest elimination in the first round of the playoffs should have been a wake-up call for management, the Lakers have been bafflingly passive this summer. To make matters worse, they’ve just taken a huge rejection from a star.
For the second year in a row, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and again by the scathing score of 4-1. After the Nuggets, it was the Timberwolves who sent LeBron James and his gang on vacation. Rob Pelinka may have outdone himself by bringing in Luka Doncic at the deadline, but the squad is still too thin to be a title contender.
And in a franchise as prestigious as Los Angeles, fans can’t accept this. They expect change, movement and, above all, confirmation that mediocrity will never be the norm. That’s why Laker Nation was so upset this Wednesday by the first round of the draft. Of the 30 teams in the league, the Purple and Gold are the only ones not to have selected a single player, or been involved in a trade.
Austin Reaves turns down Lakers extension
And it’s not the latest revelation to come out of California that’s going to dampen spirits. According to Dan Woike, who covers the franchise on a daily basis for The Athletic, Austin Reaves has turned down an attractive extension offer. This doesn’t mean he’s leaving, just that he has a specific plan in mind:
“Sources confirm to me that Austin Reaves formally turned down a maximum extension offer from the Lakers this week. He would have been paid close to $90 million over the next 4 seasons. He will be able to opt out of his current contract next summer and become a free agent. He will then be able to ask for much more than the sum offered by the Lakers this year.”
“This decision to refuse the contract does not reflect a bad relationship between the franchise and the player. It’s just the expected result when you consider the limitations the Lakers faced this year. The Lakers never had any intention of trading Austin Reaves, and they continue to see him as an important player on the roster.”
After a rather dubious playoff campaign, this extension could have been seen as insurance for Austin Reaves, who has yet to confirm his ability to play at the highest level. But the fullback has ambitions, and he doesn’t intend to settle for $90 million over the next four years. He will become a free agent in 2026 with the hope of breaking the bank, in Los Angeles or elsewhere.
