Lakers' Austin Reaves Talks 'Big Relief' of New Contract: 'I've Really Bet on Myself'

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves admitted during an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype that signing a four-year, $56 million deal this offseason was a major source of relief.

"That's kind of how it's always been my whole life. I've really bet on myself and really always just knew I needed an opportunity," he said. "Just put my foot down and the rest will take care of itself. I'll figure out something to do and to at least be on the team and help the team so that was really it and hell yeah, it's a big relief."

Reaves earned it. The 25-year-old emerged as the team's starting 2-guard last season, averaging 13 points, 3.4 assists and three rebounds per game while shooting 39.8 percent from three and offering a two-way impact.

He was even better in the postseason, putting up 16.9 points and 4.6 assists per game. And he's expecting big things from the Lakers after the team brought in veterans like Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Taurean Prince and retained D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.

"I feel really, really good about what we did," he told Yip. "You bring back the core that went to the Western Conference Finals and those pieces fit really well with what we kinda need because we lacked that last year. Overall, everybody's competitive, and we kinda got that taste last year of running it back and trying to win a championship."