Before the official start of NBA free agency (still six days away), the Los Angeles Lakers settled accounts with their longtime shooting guard, Austin Reaves. The 28-year-old sharpshooter was about to be unsigned this summer after declining his $14.8 million player option, but he just agreed to return on a four-year, $185 million deal.
The money spoke loudly in this case, but the Lakers went above and beyond to ensure their star’s loyalty. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers courted Reaves hard in their final extension meeting, appealing to his love of country music and showing off with initialed pillows.
“Shortly after the NBA Finals, Lakers ownership and front office met with Austin Reaves and his agents at the team’s practice facility in Los Angeles,” reported Shams on NBA Today. “It was in a private event room, and they had all the personal touches for him in this meeting. They played his favorite country music, and they had personalized AR-initialed pillows for Austin Reaves and everyone else who was in attendance.”
The deal, which will keep Reaves in Los Angeles through 2030, was not made on a whim by GM Rob Pelinka. While he always valued Reaves highly, the Lakers didn’t feel the urgency to strike a deal until they realized that multiple teams were already lined up with max contract offers. Among all the pursuers involved, the Detroit Pistons were the most aggressive.
“I’m told over the last 24-48 hours, the Lakers came to the understanding that Austin Reaves had multiple max contracts available to him in free agency, if he hit the market on July 1,” Shams added. “One of those teams: the Detroit Pistons. They were coming aggressively for him, so that’s why today the Lakers stepped up and gave him this deal.”
It’s no secret that the Pistons are looking for help for Cade Cunningham, and Reaves seems like a natural fit. At just 28, Reaves is still in the prime of his career, and he’s coming off his best season yet on the court, with averages of 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 49.0% shooting and 36.0% shooting from three. His skills as a perimeter shooter and isolation scorer would have given the Pistons a much-needed spark offensively, relieving pressure off Cade in the process.
Unfortunately for Detroit, they’ll have to look elsewhere for roster upgrades, though multiple options remain on the table. Meanwhile, the Lakers can now shift their focus to LeBron James. At 41, his future is entirely uncertain, and his place on the Lakers has never been more unclear. While they would prefer to keep the NBA legend in the Purple and Gold, they are preparing for a world where he’s not involved at all.
The biggest thing for the front office is filling out the supporting cast with reliable role players. With a specific need for perimeter shooters and rim defenders, they already have some targets in mind, but landing them is much easier said than done. At the very least, the Lakers don’t have to worry about losing their star and second-leading scorer in free agency for nothing.
