Lakers Rumors: Austin Reaves 'Still Appears to Be an Option' for Rockets in FA
The Houston Rockets are reportedly considering a sizable offer sheet for Los Angeles Lakers restricted free agent Austin Reaves.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Reaves "still appears to be an option" for the Rockets, who have an NBA-high $59.8 million in practical cap space. Houston has also been linked to James Harden and Fred VanVleet, among other free agents.
The Rockets' continued links to the guard market do not make a particular amount of sense given their current roster composition. They just used the No. 4 pick in the draft on Amen Thompson, a guard, while already having Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green on the roster. All three guards are 23 years old or younger, hungry and have the prime of their careers ahead.
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It's unclear why Houston—a team still very much in rebuild mode—would want to potentially mess with the development of Thompson, Porter and Green by adding a true lead guard to the mix.
On paper, it would make more sense to focus on the wing and big market or use their considerable cap space to take on unwanted contracts from teams in exchange for draft assets. Houston seems determined to accelerate a rebuilding process that has, to this point, been going largely to plan.
Adding Reaves makes more sense than any of the aforementioned veterans, but it's highly unlikely the Lakers will allow him to walk at any price. Reaves was a revelation in the rotation during the 2022-23 season, averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists before taking his play to even greater heights in the playoffs. The Oklahoma product was the clear third-in-command in the Lakers offense during the postseason behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James, playing with consistency and high efficiency to skyrocket his market value.
The Lakers are limited to offering Reaves a four-year, $51 million contract but can match any offer sheet he gets in restricted free agency. It's highly unlikely—barring an exorbitant offer that blows logic out the water—that the Lakers will allow the undrafted gem to walk.
