Lakers Austin Reaves Free Agency Decision Could Go Multiple Directions

There is more than one way the Austin Reaves situation plays out for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.

Austin Reaves | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Lakers have a lot to sort out this offseason, from LeBron James' future to roster depth around Doncic. But one decision sits above everything else on their to-do list this summer.

Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.9 million player option and hit free agency on June 30. He averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 51 games this season, and the market forming around him is shaping up to be more complicated than the Lakers probably hoped.

The Brooklyn Nets are widely expected to put a four-year, $178.5 million offer in front of him. The Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are also among teams with the flexibility to make competitive pitches. Winning is said to be a major factor in Reaves' thinking, which points toward Los Angeles. But this is also his first shot at generational wealth, and the outside interest gives him real leverage going into negotiations.

Los Angeles Lakers Austin Reaves Free Agency Scenarios Explained

Austin Reaves | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Lakers hold Bird rights on Reaves, meaning they can go over the salary cap to keep him and offer a fifth year that no other team can match. They can go as high as $241 million over five years, but the question is whether they actually will.

With the Nets' offer on the table, Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus broke down what the Lakers could do next:

"If so, the Lakers may choose not to go so high, letting him leave in free agency. Or the team can match or even exceed it, perhaps offering a lower annual number but a five-year deal starting at $35 million, for a total of $203 million. Other suitors could get to cap room or try to entice the Lakers into a sign-and-trade, like the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks or Utah Jazz."

Letting him walk is the most painful path. The Lakers would get nothing back, Doncic loses his most trusted running mate, and the roster takes a hit it would feel for years. It is on the table, but it is the last thing anyone in Los Angeles wants to see happen.

The five-year deal at $203 million is one path Pincus sees the Lakers taking. It would beat Brooklyn's offer in total value while starting at $35 million annually. Or they could go all the way to $241 million if that is what it takes to get the deal done.

If neither of those works out, a sign-and-trade becomes the fallback. The Pistons and Hawks have the flexibility to make competitive offers. The Lakers would at least get something back rather than losing him for nothing, but pulling off a deal at Reaves' value is easier said than done.

June 30 is when the window opens and the real conversations begin. The Lakers have the financial tools to get this done, and Reaves has said winning matters to him. How close those two things bring both sides to an agreement is what the next few weeks are really about.

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