The Los Angeles Lakers capped two busy days as a free agent by agreeing esteemed guard Austin Reaves on a four-year, $56 million deal, ESPN reported.
The deal allowed the Lakers to keep their top three free agents after agreeing to a two-year, $37 million deal with D’Angelo Russell earlier Saturday and agreeing to re-sign forward Rui Hachimura on Friday .
Los Angeles also signed free-agent guard Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat to a three-year, $33 million deal and signed former Portland Trail Blazers forward Cam Reddish and former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince. The signings will help strengthen the Lakers roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Keeping Reaves was a priority for the Lakers after a breakthrough season in which he scored 52.9% from the field, 39.8% on 3-pointers, and 86.9% from the free throw line while averaging 13 points, 3, 4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Hachimura agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract to stay with the Lakers after his midseason transfer from the Washington Wizards. Reddish comes to Los Angeles on a veteran-minimum contract while Prince signs for a year and $4.5 million.
Vincent lands in Los Angeles after a postseason breakthrough in Miami. He joined the Heat as an undrafted free agent during the 2019–20 season. His game eventually earned him a part-time starting role and a two-year, $3.48 million contract for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. Last season, he started 34 times in 68 regular-season games, averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the floor and 33.4% from the 3 point distance shot.
He improved his performance and was a major contributor to Miami’s surprise NBA Finals finish as the No. 8 in the Eastern Conference. Vincent started in all of Miami’s 22 playoff games and averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 37.8% on 6.1 attempts per game. shot from 3-point range. His strong long-range performance, along with that of his teammates, played a major factor in Miami’s postseason success.
Vincent’s previous career earnings totaled $3.5 million over more than three seasons with the Heat.
Now he joins a Lakers team looking to dethrone NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference. His post-season attitude certainly played a role in their decision to sign him.
Hachimura thrived in the postseason with the Lakers on their way to the Western Conference Finals. He averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds as a substitute in 16 playoff games while shooting 55.7% from the field and 48.7% on 2.4 3-point shots per game. Before agreeing to his new contract, he was a restricted free agent.
Former Lakers guard Meanwhile, Dennis Schröder is reportedly leaving Los Angeles to join the Raptors after Fred VanVleet left Toronto to join the Houston Rockets.