Nets Are ‘Bidder To Watch’ For Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is in line for a massive payday this summer after his best season yet. Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while adding in 5.5 assists on 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from deep. He did all of that while making $13.9 million, one of the best value deals in the NBA.

But now, he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Lakers will have to pony up a massive contract if they want to keep him. All rumors — for months now — have suggested they’ll be willing to pay him and he’ll stay a Laker. But if not, teams like the Brooklyn Nets could be lurking, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN:

One potential bidder to watch this summer, sources said, is the Brooklyn Nets, who will enter the offseason with more than enough salary cap space to accommodate a max-type player.

The Nets are capable of having up to $42 million in cap space — even more if they opt for space-saving moves — which would likely be enough to lure Reaves away from L.A. That would, effectively, be giving Reaves a four-year max, worth around $180 million.

If Reaves feels he is worth a max and the Lakers are unwilling to give it, perhaps the Nets could slide in and steal him. However, more likely than not, a rumor like this is leverage for Reaves to get extra money from L.A. Having so few cap space teams in the NBA makes it likely that all will get used as leverage in individual negotiations with preferred teams.

Reaves returning to the Lakers next season remains the likeliest scenario. The two sides have developed a fantastic relationship over the last five years, and Reaves has reached borderline All-Star territory.

Anthony Davis misses Austin Reaves the most from time in L.A.

Anthony Davis was a foundational piece for the Lakers for five and a half seasons before being traded for Luka Doncic. He developed great bonds with the team and the organization in that time, but is now a member of the Washington Wizards after back-to-back trade deadline deals.

He looked back on his time with the Lakers recently, and said that Reaves was the player he missed most.

“That’s my guy bro,” Davis said during the latest episode of ‘Foul Play’ in which he pranked Reaves. “Out of everybody on the team. I really miss him. That was, like, my guy.”