Western Conference Rival May Target Lakers' Austin Reaves in NBA Free Agency

The Los Angeles Lakers found a gem in 2021 when they signed undrafted free agent Austin Reaves. The University of Oklahoma product proved to be much better than expected, as he earned a roster spot and eventually became a starter and now holds his own playing alongside superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

Along with what has already been an incredible journey for Reaves, the Lakers' rising star is on the cusp of a major payday, especially with him having the best season of his career, which has turned heads across the league, potentially making it challenging for the storied franchise to sign him after the 2025-26 campaign.

According to Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Utah Jazz could be gearing up to make a run at Reaves in NBA free agency if a deal doesn't get done with the Lakers.

"I think the Utah Jazz are going to be a team that has big interest in Austin Reaves this summer," O'Connor said of the Lakers guard. "There are going to be teams that make a big max offer for Reaves, and he's going to have that choice. So the Lakers, like Rich Paul’s not saying it, but I’m sure Rich Paul has that same exact information about where Reaves could go this offseason.”

As of right now, all indications point to the Lakers doing whatever it takes to keep Reaves in Los Angeles on a long-term basis. Even Reaves himself has let it be known he doesn't want to play for another team, which gives longtime general manager Rob Pelinka and the team's front office an advantage.

Austin Reaves on turning down an extension with the Lakers:

"It's a business at the end of the day. That doesn't mean that I don't wanna be in LA. I wanna be in LA for my whole career. And hopefully we can make that happen." pic.twitter.com/La7uUYNI2y
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) September 29, 2025

“It’s super hard,” Reaves said via ESPN LA. “If you would have told me even three years ago that I was going to have the opportunity to make that money, then I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. But it’s a business at the end of the day. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be in LA. I want to be in LA for my whole career and hopefully we can make that happen.”

However, things change rapidly in the NBA, especially for a team like the Lakers, which tends to be in the headlines daily. The perfect example is Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul recently proposing that the team trade Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies for one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.

Apparently, Reaves didn't pay much attention to Paul's comments, which went viral this week. That's on brand for a player that never seems to get rattled or distracted from off-the-court speculation. That's impressive considering his name has been mentioned in trade rumors for quite some time, even though it seems that there's no validity to any of the speculation.

For the time being, Reaves will focus on getting back on the floor, as the continues to recover from a calf strain. He'll likely be back in uniform sooner rather than later, but the noise around his future will almost certainly continue into the NBA offseason.