Austin Reaves Agent Issues Soft Rumor [*]

Not many $12M seasons remaining for Steve Austin, um, Austin Reaves, because he wants $30M and he's gonna get it, somewhere!

LeBron is once again not going to concede salary, but if he does it would be for an additional player and not to hand it to Austin. $1.2B is apparently not enough in one's bank account and in principle I get it. Why must a player pay and not the organization? Why not give LeBron part ownership of the team at this point rather than salary? Either way, if Austin wants $30M, he's not going to be a laker if LeBron remains.

Reaves Agent Aaron Reilly issues a soft rumor regarding his star player...

As I recall, the Lakers were winning more with Austin at the point than Luka... Funny what determines who is a star. You apparently must enter the league with star potential, rather than to evolve into one, to be considered legit. Austin is the NBA's new Pete Maravich without the razz.

Reaves tries hard in his game, and deserves a raise. But LeBron is over paid at his age, but you can not blame LeBron for the money the Lakers threw at him in the form of a contract which expires June 29 of the 2025-26 season. He can become a free agent if the Lakers do not extend his contract. But I believe that is June 2026. So the Lakers still will have him for this coming season, I believe, not sure how that works. Maybe Skyeword can chime in on it?

I've never fully grasped the CBA contracts terms and policies. I have a general understanding which includes the top players having a lot of power to influence organizational decisions including player and coach hiring, which is not included in the contracts!

At this stage of LeBron's career plus what's left of the competence of the Buss Family, separate from the CBA, there ought to be discussion about unloading a percentage of the ownership to influential people (other than Magic Johnson in my opinion who is a smiling demon in business). I think LeBron would take a massive pay cut in exchange for 1-3% of a $5Billion+ franchise, where he could sit on the board and retain a small influence over decisions even after the Buss Family wise up and sell the team and he retires. He could then sell his portion and use that towards creating a Las Vegas NBA franchise he claims that he wants to do. That would be a win~win and allow the Lakers to bring in several impact players with LeBron still in the starting 5. Equity rather than Salary!

He knows right now that if he holds the owners and management ransom and takes his full salary, that he will enter next season with no better chance to win than he did this season on one year older legs... No conventional contract terms can change that... I do wonder if he's thinking about a perfect career ending story though. My gut tells me that returning to Cleveland dances in his head occasionally and they are rebuilding... Mobley or Allen to the Lakers anyone?