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Austin Reaves' projected WAR next season is 4.69, which is a top 40 figure in the league. Given what his salary is next year, his contract is expected to be the 13th biggest value in the league for the season.

I’ve been screaming it for years Reaves is simply a guy that makes it nearly impossible to trade him because the probability of finding equal return value is essentially Non-Existent He’s a critical figure to roster building + flexibility while providing star impact

Wild that Lebron is literally precluded from post-loss graphics lol Insane

Murphy is better in theory than practice as it relates to the fit with the Lakers defensively He’s better as a guy that scales-up than he is an on-ball defender, but less than optimal as a rebounder

NBA coaching is the most volatile position in the employment sector

There are folks that will tell you $30 million is an overpay for Austin Reaves….

With more data becoming available, it’s becoming abundantly clear that my eyes didn’t deceive me on Reaves’ defense in the playoffs, specifically vs Edwards .80 Shot Quality 26.7% EFG .53 PPS Austin Reaves had Anthony Edwards in hell

The path for the undersized guard archetype is becoming progressively more difficult Guys in the mold of SPJ, Bronny and JHS will probably need to scale-up defensively if they’re going to stick in the league long term

Top x/y/z lists are inherently subjective so debating such things is generally pointless But it’s a bit disingenuous to suggest Kobe Bryant wasn’t a gifted passer/playmaker for others IMO

The most important objective in any competitive sport is to be the last team standing When **winning a title** has negative connotations we’ve lost the plot Literally everything else is secondary Championships are HARD to acquire, and stigmatizing a ring is pure stupidity

Happy Father’s Day to all my guys out here paving a better path for their children Hope you have a blessed day enjoying laughter, smiles and joy while being surrounded by your kids + parents

I recall the “it’s an overpay” narrative when the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis for Ball/Ingram/Hart + 3 firsts Mind you the Lakers literally won a championship in AD’s first year It’s 2025, and the Orlando Magic just gave up 4 firsts and a swap……….for Desmond Bane

Question for all my Reaves’ haters: If Desmond Bane is worth FOUR 1st round picks, do you still think it’s an overpay for Austin at $30-35 million annually

Bane and Reaves were similar impact players this past regular season. Some season ranks from our BBall Index leaderboards tool:

While this is true, I’m not necessarily sure it’s a positive facet in favor of Bane in relation to Reaves Bane makes ~37mill for 25-26, but the annual salary skyrockets to ~42mill in 27-28 and all the way up to ~45mill for 28-29

This is fantastic stuff from Cranjis McBasketball I’ve soured a bit on movement shooting in recent years, unless said movement shooting is coupled with adequate/plus playmaking ability Absent the playmaking element, streaky movement shooters often become inefficient checkers + black holes