Austin Reaves Wants to Sign New Lakers Contract: 'It Feels Like Home to Me'

Austin Reaves has been a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it sounds as though he's hopeful to remain with the organization as his free agency looms this summer.

"I want to be here," he told reporters Tuesday. "It feels like home to me, in a sense ... the way the fans support me. Players, coaching staff, front office. This is definitely somewhere I want to be, but we'll see what happens."

Reaves, 24, was fantastic for the Lakers in their run to the Western Conference Finals, averaging 16.9 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 44.3 percent from three during the playoffs. He made 22 starts in the regular season and started all 16 of the team's postseason contests and was one of the few bright spots for the Lakers against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 21.3 points in the four-game sweep.

Contrast that to starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, who would have been expected to be the team's third option on offense but averaged a woeful 6.3 points per game in the conference finals.

There's an argument to be made that Reaves has emerged as the team's third-best player. The future of LeBron James will obviously be the biggest storyline for the Lakers heading into the offseason, as he considers retirement, but Reaves' restricted free agency will be a situation monitored very closely in Los Angeles as well.