Report: Lakers, Austin Reaves Want New Contract; Teams Eye SG in 2023 NBA Free Agency
Austin Reaves is scheduled for restricted free agency this offseason, but he and the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly don't want him to go anywhere.
During a discussion with the Athletic's Jovan Buha on the HoopsHype podcast, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto said the two sides "want to get a deal done" even though "multiple teams have Reaves on their free-agency radar."
Buha offered a cautionary tale for anyone who simply assumes Reaves will be back given that mutual interest.
"This is kind of lining up to potentially be another Alex Caruso situation where he wants to be there, and the Lakers want to retain him, but if they try to get a little too cute with the offer or negotiation, I could see him potentially leaving and going somewhere where he's going to get the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception," Buha said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he got some cap space into the $12-15 million range from a team."
It is a testament to Reaves that he has played his way into such a position after he went undrafted following a collegiate career that included stops with Wichita State and Oklahoma.
He is averaging 11.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep this season. His versatility allows him to impact the game outside of the traditional numbers as well, as he can handle the ball if needed, play off the wing and even defend multiple positions.
Los Angeles has asked him to start and anchor the bench at times, and he has found success doing both.
In particular, maintaining those shooting numbers will be key once LeBron James returns from injury and opposing defenses have to account for the King, Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell.
That will create no shortage of space for the other role players, and Reaves is someone who can knock those shots down and continue earning playing time in the season's biggest moments.
He can also earn himself quite the contract offer this offseason.
