A group of Los Angeles Lakers fans online has urged the franchise not to overpay free agent Austin Reaves, who is eligible to sign a five-year max deal worth $241M with the Lakers or a four-year $178M contract with another team.
Per The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Reaves is expected to sign a deal that will fetch him north of $40M per season — with the Lakers or any other team. However, some Lakers fans feel the Lakers should not offer Reaves more than $35-$39M a year at the most.
“For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans how much the Lakers should pay Reaves and they definitely don’t want to give a max deal,” wrote Silver Screen and Roll’s Edwin Garcia, while revealing that 48% of Lakers fans are hesitant to offer Reaves a $40M deal and 20% feel Reaves should be offered less than $35M per.
Interestingly, one-quarter of the fanbase would be comfortable with the Lakers offering a near-max deal to Reaves, who has expressed a desire to stay in Los Angeles.
$35-$39M — 48%
$40-$45M — 25%
< $35M — 20%
$48M — 7%
Austin Reaves Free Agency
The Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls have emerged as potential suitors for Reaves, per multiple insiders. The Nets will reportedly be willing to offer Reaves the full max of four years and $178M in their effort to pry him away from the Lakers.
“One team expected to have interest in Reaves is the Brooklyn Nets, multiple league sources said. The Nets have enough cap space to offer Reaves the four-year max deal and are still rebuilding after the short-lived Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving-James Harden era,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported last week.
Meanwhile, the Pistons, who were exposed for lacking quality playmaking, are expected to go all-in on shoring up their offense next to Cade Cunningham. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Pistons have a legitimate interest in Reaves.
“Detroit, which is believed to be among the suitors for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves if he makes it to unrestricted free agency, is also said to be interested in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Joe,” Amick wrote.
“Reaves, who is expected to decline his player option for next season, can come to terms with the Lakers before free agency begins on July 1.”
Austin Reaves Likely to Stay With Lakers
Despite attracting leaguewide interest, Reaves is expected to stay put with Los Angeles and could even take a discount to help the team build around him and Luka Doncic.
“If Reaves agrees to a contract below the max, it would provide L.A. with future roster flexibility, including helping to avoid the punitive measures put in place if it exceeded the second apron,” McMenamin reported last week.
“… Sources familiar with Reaves’ thinking told ESPN throughout the season that Reaves’ contract decision will not come down solely to a dollar figure. There will be various factors, including Reaves’ repeated stance that he would like to play his entire career with the Lakers.”
Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season.
Lakers Get Stern Austin Reaves Warning From Rabid Fanbase