Will Reeves leave the team for a max salary like Brunson did? Is Doncic going to become a polished commander again?

Translator's Note: This article was originally published by The Athletic, written by Sam Amick. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (October 28, local time). The opinions in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

Speaking of key issues in the team's long-term planning, the Lakers' Reeves' explosive scoring performance at the beginning of this season makes people wonder what the guard, who is about to enter the fifth season of his career, will face in next summer's free agent market.

In late June this year, the 27-year-old player rejected a four-year, $89.2 million contract extension offered by the Lakers. This decision was not surprising. Judging from the league rules at the time, this amount was the highest offer the Lakers were allowed to make at that stage, but compared with the salary amount that outsiders predicted he might obtain in the free agent market, there was still a big gap - he has a player option worth $14.8 million next season, and it is generally believed that he will choose to give up this option and strive for a more generous contract.

According to previous reports, management executives of other teams publicly stated at the time that Reeves was capable of obtaining a multi-year contract with an annual salary of up to 40 million US dollars in the free market. At that time, these predictions based on his past performance were made before he started the season with All-Star level data. Now his amazing performance in the opening stage has taken the potential value of this contract to a higher level.

In the four regular season games this season, Reeves has averaged 35.8 points, 8.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. Such statistics are considered phenomenal for any player in the league. What deserves more in-depth attention is that in the victory over the Kings on Sunday night, he handed over a crazy stat sheet of 51 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in the absence of core teammates. In that game, LeBron James (missed due to sciatica injury) and Luka Doncic (missed due to finger and leg injuries) both failed to appear. This kind of single-core leadership performance undoubtedly clearly proved to all other teams in the league what kind of dominance Reeves can explode when he is established as the team's core first offensive option. But it is precisely this "proof" that constitutes the dilemma the Lakers face now.

Although the Lakers are fully capable of beating other competitors in the bidding when the free market opens next July - according to the league's salary rules, the maximum contract they can offer Reeves will be a five-year maximum salary contract with a total amount of up to 240 million US dollars - but the first thing the team management needs to observe is what kind of chemical reaction Reeves and Doncic can produce during a full season of partnership. Whether the technical styles and tactical positioning of the two people can truly adapt to avoid the situation of "1+1<2". And from a financial perspective, the salary issue should obviously not be a concern for the Lakers, because the team's new owner Mark Walter - an owner known for his generous spending and daring investment during the operation of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Major League Baseball team) - has acquired a majority stake in the Lakers in June this year at a valuation of US$10 billion. The team's financial strength is enough to support a maximum salary contract without worrying about financial pressure.

The current controversial situation Reeves is in is vaguely reminiscent of a past incident involving Doncic that happened with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022: Jalen Brunson, the core defender of the Mavericks at the time, finally chose to leave Doncic and switch to the New York Knicks precisely because he was eager to get the opportunity to become the absolute core of the team and have his own tactical system. Coupled with the fact that LeBron James has entered the end of his career and may decide to retire at any time, the possibility that Doncic will lose an elite-level core teammate like Reaves in the future and end up supporting the team alone becomes very realistic and urgent.

However, on the other hand, Reeves has always longed to truly participate in the championship competition deep in his heart, and is unwilling to waste his prime years on rebuilding the team; at the same time, he also has deep feelings for the tactical status, team atmosphere and life experience in the city of Los Angeles that he gained while playing for the Lakers. These two points are well known to both the coaching staff and management within the Lakers. If the Lakers can find a way to get the team to the top of the league this season and have the strength to compete for the championship, then the prospect of such a championship may become a key motivation for Reeves to choose to stay with the team. More importantly, there is one point that is also worthy of attention: Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Pelinka have always resisted the temptation of "trading Reeves for star players" thrown by other teams in the league, and also rejected internal voices about "sacrifice the future for short-term results." The reason why they always insist on keeping Reeves is precisely because they have firm trust in his ability, potential and attributes suitable for the team system-this long-term and stable trust itself has irreplaceable significance for Reeves.

For Reeves personally, these so-called "problems" are actually benign, and are essentially "happy troubles" caused by his continued improvement in personal abilities and soaring market value; and for the Lakers, these discussions and potential choices surrounding Reeves are early signals that they are about to usher in a complex and critical offseason this summer.