NBA free agency begins on Monday at 6 p.m. EST, and one player to keep an eye on is Austin Reaves. After initially declining a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, rumors are swirling that teams across the league are keeping tabs on Reaves.
The rumors surrounding the 27-year-old guard began after insider Chris Haynes claimed that rival executives hold Reaves in “high regard.” Based on his reporting, it sounds like the Lakers could be in a bidding war with several organizations for Austin Reaves.
“There are a lot of rival executives who hold Austin Reaves in high regard. I think he's gotten wind of that. I think his representation has gotten wind of that, and I think that's why [Reaves and his camp] feel like they have to make that decision.”
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Reaves experienced career-highs playing as the third option behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic. He stepped up in a big way for the Lakers, and there is a chance Austin Reaves only improves moving forward, whether that's in L.A. or elsewhere. Reaves ended the 2024-25 campaign experiencing career highs in points per game (20.2), rebounds per game (4.5), assists per game (5.8), and steals per game (1.1). He also shot 46.0% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc.
That's the type of production the Lakers can't afford to lose. Especially if the franchise hopes to get back in title contention with James and Doncic leading the way. It's unclear what teams are potentially in the race to sign the four-year guard, but based on his production throughout his career so far, he should garner plenty of interest from around the league.
Despite the rumored interest from other teams, there is a belief that Austin Reaves will eventually re-sign with the Lakers. Although Reaves turned down a four-year, $89.2 million contract offer from Los Angeles, both sides seem motivated to agree to a deal once the free agency window opens on Monday.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Corvallis, Oregon, and has previous bylines at BroBible and Athlon Sports.