Utah Jazz Emerge as Potential Suitor for Lakers' Austin Reaves

The Utah Jazz could be in the market for one of this offseason's prized free agents: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves.

According to Bleacher Report's Eric Picnus on a recent appearance on Buha’s Block, he revealed that among the teams who have interest in Reaves, the Jazz are among those that like what he brings to the table.

“I’ve heard that the Utah Jazz like Austin Reaves. I don’t think that’s a shock, but I’ve heard that that’s one of the teams that’s interested in Austin Reaves," said Picnus.

Reaves, who's been a part of the Lakers for the past four seasons, will be slated to hit the free agent market later this summer if he declines his player option worth around $14 million, with teams around the league bound to investigate his potential addition to their roster.

The Jazz seem to be among that list of suitors, and on paper, certainly presents an appealing fit within Utah's already-strong starting five for next year.

But is there any real chance that the Jazz are in on Reaves later this summer? It might be a little more difficult to pull off than you'd think.

Could the Utah Jazz Land Austin Reaves?

Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32), guard Mikal Bridges (25), guard Josh Hart (3), and forward Og Anunoby (8) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When drawing up a spot on the Jazz's roster for Reaves to fill into, it's clear as to why Utah would have interest in adding him as a piece into their lineup puzzle.

By adding Reaves into Utah's backcourt, it places him next to a rising third-year guard Keyonte George as his partner at the one, then could have a frontcourt of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler to round out that starting five.

That's a really good setup as one of the best five-man units in the Western Conference, with a nice dose of scoring, size, versatility, and a couple of standout defenders at the four and five positions. And if the Jazz have the means to realistically pursue it, Reaves could be a perfect finishing touch to a playoff roster.

The issue, though, centers on the finances of how that roster can shake out.

Between the $49 million that Jackson is due next season, the $46 million that Markkanen is due, along with the pending contract for Walker Kessler (expected to be upwards of $25 million), that's a good chunk of salary cap room on the books gone within just three players, and an NBA roster needs at least 14 traditional contracts heading into any given season.

Adding Reaves into that mix makes for an even tougher math problem to solve, as he'll be searching for his biggest payday in the league yet, and could be well out of the Jazz's price range by the time Kessler signs his new deal.

So the Jazz Can't Sign Austin Reaves?

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz Owner Ryan Smith (left) and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge (middle) along with president of basketball operations Austin Ainge watch warm ups before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

It's not exactly out of the cards for the Jazz to make a splash like Reaves happen, but it'll rely on some diligent planning from the front office (and particularly, Walker Kessler) for it to come to fruition.

The Jazz would not only likely have to shed a few contracts on the books for next year to ensure the necessary cap space (John Konchar's $6.1 million, Cody Williams $6.0 million) is free for a high-level signing, but they'd also have to hope Kessler, their premier restricted free agent, signs on after a deal for Reaves comes to light.

That way, the Jazz can utilize their Bird Rights on Kessler's rookie extension to go over the NBA's allotted cap space, and therefore provide a route for Utah to make a big splash, but at the same time, keep their biggest free agent in-house, who will be a massive component of their defensive improvements next season.

It's much easier said than done, and relies on the Jazz having a more compelling offer and pitch to bring in Reaves as opposed to anyone else interested on the market, yet there at least remains a feasible opportunity for the fit to develop.

Of course, a lot can change between now and when free agency officially hits this summer. But don't count out the Jazz in those sweepstakes for Reaves, in the event they can create ample flexibility to do so.