Lakers Rumors: Exec Praises LA's Offseason for Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent Contracts

It's not just fans and analysts who are optimistic about the Los Angeles Lakers because of what they were able to do during the offseason.

One scout for a Western Conference team praised the contracts for Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent that were signed over the summer.

"[Austin] Reaves on that contract alone is a good offseason," the scout told ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "[Gabe] Vincent is a solid player ... but when you get a guy that good on that contract, that's huge."

The Lakers made it clear before free agency began they would match any offer sheet Reaves might have received from another team as a restricted free agent. This allowed them to bring him back on a four-year, $53.8 million deal.

Vincent, who spent the past four seasons with the Miami Heat, took a three-year, $33 million deal from the Lakers.

Reaves was a standout player during Los Angeles' run to the Western Conference Finals. He averaged 16.9 points on 44.3 percent three-point shooting and 4.6 assists per game in 16 playoff starts.

The 25-year-old carried that success into the FIBA World Cup with Team USA. He finished second on the team in scoring average (13.8 points per game) and shot 56.6 percent from the field in eight games.

Vincent had his most productive season in 2022-23 with 9.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 68 appearances for the Heat. He was terrific during their surprise run to the NBA Finals, averaging 12.7 points on 37.8 percent shooting from behind the arc in 22 playoff starts.

The Lakers look much deeper going into this season with Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish in the fold. The health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis will determine the ultimate ceiling for the 2023-24 squad, but they have a high floor because of all the talent behind their two superstars.