This year, Austin Reaves is one of the most underpaid players in the league. He is playing like a top-20 player, and he is getting paid like a top-10 role player. Well, that will surely change this offseason. Last summer, Reaves declined a contract extension, betting on himself. Next summer, the Los Angeles Lakers and Austin Reaves will have an interesting contract negotiation. But should Lakers fans be worried?
Reaves looks like a perfect sidekick for Luka Dončić. Their chemistry is amazing on and off the floor. But this is not the first time we’ve seen a player shine in his contract year. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some players who cashed in and then fell off a cliff.
7 Contract-Year Flops, And What It Means For Austin Reaves
Chandler Parsons
We can safely say that Chandler Parsons is the poster boy for players who had a career contract year and then fell off a cliff. He peaked in his third year in Houston, and from there, things went downhill. After his career year playing for the Houston Rockets, Parsons signed a massive contract with the Dallas Mavericks, followed by an even larger one with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was a prototypical modern forward, but his knees gave out.
In 2016, he signed a four-year, $94 million contract with the Grizzlies. During the four-year period, he played in only 95 games and never averaged double digits in points. But the Grizzlies paid for what he was, hoping he would get the grit-and-grind team over the top.
Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole was the “third” Splash Brother for the Golden State Warriors during their 2022 title run. He averaged 17 points in the playoffs. But an altercation with Draymond Green changed his career trajectory. He was traded to the Washington Wizards, where they gave him a four-year, $128 million contract to be the guy. But averaging close to 20 points next to Steph Curry is different from doing it when you are the main guy. With the whole defense focused on him, Poole became one of the hardest players to trade away.
Davis Bertans
Davis Bertans had his best year in the 2019–20 season. His breakout year came with the Washington Wizards, averaging 15.4 points on 42.4% shooting from three-point range. As a reward, he signed a five-year, $80 million contract. But his efficiency and playing time decreased significantly the following year, and he spent the rest of his career bouncing across different teams.
Timofey Mozgov
Lakers fans remember Timofey Mozgov and his infamous four-year, $64 million deal. He had a good second half of the season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014–15. The next year, he was not as efficient. Yet, the Lakers thought he could be a part of a winning team and gave him the massive deal in the summer of 2016. Mozgov spent only one season in Los Angeles before being traded and eventually waived.
Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson was a perfect example of a system guy. He had his best year in 2011–12, winning the Most Improved Player Award. But he was playing alongside Dwight Howard. Several years later, the Houston Rockets made the mistake of thinking he could elevate them to greatness. In 2016, during the massive salary-cap spike, they gave him a four-year, $80 million deal. They eventually waived him.
Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins was the second-best player on the 2022 Warriors championship team, and he cashed in on that. After helping the Warriors win the title, he signed a four-year, $109 million extension. While he is still a valuable role player, he has never come close to an All-Star level since signing the contract. For a player earning $30 million per year, his production doesn’t match the salary.
Hedo Turkoglu
As we can see, many players benefit from playing on a championship or near-championship-level team. Hedo Turkoglu is another player who thrived alongside Howard in Orlando. After the 2009 Finals run, the 6’10” forward signed a five-year, $53 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. His stats plummeted due to poor efficiency afterward.
The Flip Side
When we talk about players who signed an extension and then fell off, we have to talk about the opposite side as well. For example, when the New York Knicks gave Jalen Brunson a $100 million contract, many considered it an overpay. But he has blossomed into one of the best players in the league.
For the Lakers, that should be the best-case scenario with a new contract for Austin Reaves. Fun fact: both players thrived alongside Dončić. However, the Mavericks let his sidekick go. The Lakers should learn from that mistake.
Featured Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The post 7 Contract-Year Flops, And What It Means For Austin Reaves appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.