New Lakers’ Austin Reaves update shows Los Angeles could actually lose young star

New Lakers’ Austin Reaves update shows Los Angeles could actually lose young star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The Los Angeles Lakers are now in a position that they were likely hoping not to be in with Austin Reaves.

>Reaves, who has been one of the better young players in the NBA, has a lot of talent, but it's also fair to mention some of his problems on the basketball court.

>It isn't like we're looking at a superstar here, and he'll be paid as such. If the Lakers don't want to give him what he's looking for, there's going to be another team in the NBA that's more than willing to do so.

>The Lakers, if they're smart, will want to get Reaves for the lowest possible price. However, according to the latest report, there's a much better chance that Los Angeles will have to pay more for him than it could have expected to.

>“Reaves obviously will opt out of his current deal, which pays him a mere pittance at $14.9 million for 2026-27, and the Lakers can use his artificially low cap hold ($20.9 million) to fill the roster with cap room before coming back to sign him on a more market-appropriate contract. That landing point would seem about four years and $140 million, based on BORD$, for a 28-year-old who has defense and durability questions but also showed last season he can be a high-usage, lead initiator on offense.

>“The Lakers, however, may be forced to go higher. As one of the most prominent unrestricted free agents on the board, Reaves could command an over-the-top max offer from a talent-needy rival such as the Brooklyn Nets,” John Hollinger wrote.

>I don't think the Lakers are in a position to allow Reaves to walk.

>While there are some problems on the defensive side of the basketball for the Oklahoma product, he's still a prolific scorer, and those guys typically get paid well in the NBA.

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