NBA analyst Skip Bayless reckons the biggest reason LeBron James has a good chance of winning his 5th ring is the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed Austin Reaves. Reaves will return to the Lakers’ lineup after signing a four-year, $56 million deal.

Reaves had played an instrumental role in taking the Lakers to the West finals in the previous season. The 25-year-old averaged 21.3 points on 54.9% shooting, including a staggering 56.0% from behind the arc in an ignominious sweep of 4-0 in the Western Conference final against the Denver Nuggets.

Bayless feels Reaves was the Lakers’ best player in the playoffs and the team has made a steal deal with him.

Bayless said on his show, “The biggest reason LeBron James has a good chance of winning his 5th ring… I have never ever seen a player improve so much. From college basketball to pro basketball. Never ever, the way Austin Reaves has right before our very own wide open eyes.

“The Lakers stole him back in free agency. He deserved twice what they paid him. In fact, they made it clear they were prepared to pay him almost twice what he wound up with from the Lakers.

“Let this sink in, the Lakers’ best player in last year’s playoffs, the best player easily in the conference finals against Denver will now be the fifth highest paid player on the Lakers next season.”

Meanwhile, LeBron James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games in 2022-23. He was selected to play in his nineteenth All-Star games. Furthermore, he leapfrogged legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time points tally.

Austin Reaves is going to play a key role for the Lakers along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA 2023-23 season.