Austin Reaves made it clear to an eager Detroit Pistons fan on a golf course that he is not interested in joining their franchise.
Fan: “We need you on the Pistons, Austin.”
Austin Reaves: “I’m not going to Detroit.”
Austin Reaves was playing in a golf tournament recently and a fan told him “We need you on the Pistons, Austin”.
Reaves responded: “I’m not going to Detroit”
— Tristan (@TBeckmann24) June 19, 2024
There is no real reason for Reaves to leave the Lakers, especially to join the Pistons. The team with the worst record in the NBA (14-68) fired their head coach earlier today, as Monty Williams’ one-season stint with the franchise has ended in disaster. They don’t look like an appealing destination for any player in the NBA right now, though they will be among the teams with the most cap space this summer to entice free agents.
Reaves had a solid season with the Lakers, averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists after receiving a long-term extension from the team. They have protected him in trade talks for the last two seasons, so there isn’t any reason to believe the 26-year-old combo guard won’t be on the Lakers for the foreseeable future.
Austin Reaves Ensured The Detroit Pistons Didn’t Draft Him
Getting drafted is the dream of every basketball hopeful in the world, but Austin Reaves went out of his way to ensure he would be an undrafted free agent in 2021 when he was in the Draft pool. The Pistons wanted to take a swing on him with their second-round draft pick, but Reaves told the franchise to not draft him so he could try and make his way to either the Lakers or the Bucks as a free agent.
“We could have gotten drafted 42nd to Detroit but kind of declined that to put me in LA for a better spot. We tiered teams as in the best fit for me and LA was I think two on the list at the time, Milwaukee may have been one, but they were tier one. I think Detroit called yeah I think it was putting myself in a position to get a roster spot.”
It’s clear he doesn’t want to play for the Pistons, though the circumstances for his lack of interest can’t be blamed. The Pistons had a lot of young talent on their roster in 2021 and Reaves would be in danger of getting cut as a low-priority second-round pick.
The Lakers were a top-heavy team with opportunities for guard play off the bench, especially after they acquired Russell Westbrook and eliminated their depth. Reaves saw an opportunity, maximized it, and now he’s among the core players of the franchise.
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