Annual salary of 35 million! The Lakers can t afford it! Goodbye, the strongest third leader

On September 19, according to Lakers reporter Anthony F. Irwin, Reeves will jump out of the contract after the end of this season and test the free market. He wants to seek a contract with an annual salary of 30 million to 35 million. During this offseason, Reeves refused the Lakers' contract renewal for 4 years, $89.2 million, which is the largest contract the Lakers can offer at present.

Reeves currently has a contract of $54 million for four years, and the 2026-27 season is a player option of $14.9 million. Anthony F. Irwin wrote: "Given that the Lakers may lose Reeves in vain, it would be a dereliction of duty if the Lakers do not consider trading him next season. Moreover, Reeves and Doncic have many problems in the backcourt."

Previously, the Los Angeles Times reporter Dan Woike reported that the Lakers would not trade Reeves unless they can be exchanged for the top NBA inside. On August 3 this year, the Lakers renewed their contract with Doncic in advance for 3 years of US$165 million. If the Lakers are determined to give Reeves a big contract with an annual salary of 35 million yuan, how much room can they strengthen other positions?

Reeves was born on May 29, 1998. Although he has only played for four seasons, he is 27 years old, one year older than Doncic. In the 2024-25 season, Reeves played 73 regular season games, all of which were starters. Average of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.4 turnovers per game, with three shooting percentages: 46%, 37.7%, 87.7%.

This year's playoffs, Reeves's data declined: he averaged 39.2 minutes per game, scored 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.8 turnovers, and his three shooting percentages: 41.1%, 31.9%, 85.7%. This is the Lakers’ biggest worry. If he is really given a maximum salary, can he expect to be in the playoffs in the future?

There was a topic last season that sparked heated discussion: Is Reeves the third most powerful leader in the NBA? There are many people who support Reeves as the strongest three leaders in the league, such as Beverly and well-known commentator A-Smith. But Lou Wei expressed his objection. He felt that Reeves was not as good as Powell and was not considered the strongest third leader in Los Angeles.

The last question: Who do you think is the strongest third leader in the NBA?