Austin Reaves Chooses to Stay with the Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves commits to Los Angeles
Austin Reaves has reportedly decided to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to trusted NBA reporting. After a summer of interest from other clubs, the guard appears set to turn down his $14,900,000 player option and instead work toward a longer-term deal in L.A.
While this summer’s free-agent pool is relatively light, several teams checked in about Reaves’ availability. The Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons were among those linked to him, with Brooklyn reportedly prepared to offer a sizeable multi-year contract. In the end, however, those offers didn’t sway him.
Why it matters and what’s next
Reaves has clearly settled in with the Lakers and has built good chemistry with the roster, which played a big part in his decision. When healthy last season he showed he can be an important contributor, averaging career highs of 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in his on-court stretches despite being limited to 51 games by a calf injury.
For the Lakers, keeping Reaves gives some continuity to their backcourt and removes one big question mark from the summer. Other teams will now pivot to alternative targets as the market remains thin. Expect the Lakers and Reaves’ camp to focus on negotiating a multi-year deal that reflects his offensive production and fit within the team’s core.
