Austin Reaves has expressed a desire to spend his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but his time with the franchise could come to an end this summer. Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 and become an unrestricted free agent.
Reaves staying with the Lakers appears to be the likeliest outcome as of now, but during an appearance on the Around The Beat podcast, team insider Jovan Buha shared that there will be a couple of rival teams sniffing around.
“I think there will be competition for his services,” Buha said. “If I’m Brooklyn or Chicago, I think he’s an upgrade. I know Brooklyn drafted a million point guards and ball handlers last year, but I don’t think any of them project to be as good as Austin Reaves currently is. As a guy who was a fringe All-Star last year and probably would have been an All-Star if not for his calf injury in December.
“And then if you’re Chicago, I just think he’s a better player than Josh Giddey,” Buha continued. “And I mean, maybe they could play together in sort of a jumbo guard back court, but I think Chicago should be looking for pieces in their mid to late 20s that could potentially fit the next iteration of that roster.
“I think Detroit is maybe a dark horse here, where, depending on what happens with Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, they could be a cap space player,” Buha added. “And I think Jalen Duren’s free agency is going to be interesting also for the Lakers, who are in the market for a center upgrade.”
It became crystal clear during these playoffs that the Detroit Pistons need another quality playmaker and shot creator next to Cade Cunningham. Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26, would fit the bill.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are in need of an upgrade over Deandre Ayton at the center spot. Now, Jalen Duren struggled in the playoffs, but he could thrive next to Luka Doncic. So, a Reaves-Duren trade has been thrown around, which could benefit both teams. This still doesn’t seem too likely, but it is worth keeping an eye on.
As for the other teams potentially in play, Buha thinks the door will open for them if the Lakers try to lowball Reaves.
“I do think there will be some competition, especially if the Lakers get too cute with it,” Buha said. “So his max is five years, 240 million. I think the sweet spot is probably going to be around five years, 200 million, because the most a suitor can offer is four years. I think it’s 177 or around 180.
“So I think if you can get him the fifth year, get him the extra year of security, and top that 180 mark,” Buha continued. “… I think average annual value of the five, 240 is around 48 million. Maybe it’s not quite that high, but if you get that down to like 40-ish million, it’s still overall more guaranteed money. He is taking a discount from the max, and I think that’s probably in line with a more fair contract for both sides.
“For the Lakers, obviously, you want to get that number as low as possible,” Buha added. “But I think once you start getting into like the $35 million range, that’s where I could see someone, Brooklyn or Chicago. I mean, Memphis, he’s from not too far from there. I just wonder if at some point it becomes a situation where he becomes too good of a value to an opposing team.”
Reaves is eligible to sign a five-year, $241 million deal in the summer. It was reported earlier this season that he wouldn’t try to earn every dollar possible, and Buha doesn’t expect him to get the max.
If the Lakers go too far below that number, though, Reaves might look elsewhere. The 27-year-old can sign a four-year, $178 million deal with another team. If the Lakers’ offer is well below $40 million a year, teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Memphis Grizzlies might look at this as too good an opportunity to pass up.
Now, Reaves recently said that he wants to run it back with LeBron James on the Lakers. It seems clear that staying is his No. 1 preference by far, and it will take a blunder on the Lakers’ part for him to go elsewhere.
