Lakers News: Team With Serious Cap Space Eyeing Austin Reaves
Starting Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves, a restricted free agent, earned himself a ton of money during LA's run to the Western Conference Finals this year.
Signed to Los Angeles as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2021 out of the University of Oklahoma, Reaves has earned a grand total of $2,488,776 across his two seasons, despite emerging as easily the club's third-best player behind its two immortals, center Anthony Davis and All-NBA small forward LeBron James, by the end of the regular season.
Now, the 25-year-old Reaves is clearly in line for a massive, long-term raise this summer. Across 16 playoff games, he averaged 16.9 points on .464/.443/.895 shooting splits, 4.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks. He's been great as a floor spacer, clutch bucket-getter, solid one-on-one defender, and supplemental playmaker during his Los Angeles tenure. Holding onto Reaves and his fellow restricted free agent power forward Rui Hachimura should the Lakers' top priorities of the summer.
But will there be a price too steep for LA?
Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports that the Houston Rockets, who have enough cap space to sign a maximum free agent and then some, are considering Reaves, along with ex-Rockets MVP James Harden, Milwaukee Bucks All-Defensive big man Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson, and future ex-Memphis Grizzlies small forward Dillon Brooks.
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