The Los Angeles Lakers regrettably lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Rockets, and Houston is the painfully obvious team to steal Austin Reaves when he hits free agency in the summer of 2026. The 6’5 wing is in line for a massive payday, and the Lakers are limited to what they can offer in an extension. Reaves will hit the open market, and several teams will have interest in signing him.
The Rockets would love a dynamic scoring guard to fit with their young core. They traded for Kevin Durant, but can’t expect the future Hall of Famer to remain elite for five years. Reaves is just entering his prime and would be the perfect scorer to round out Houston’s bruising defensive identity. They likely try to move on from Fred VanVleet after his devastating injury, and Reaves would fit perfectly in FVV's former role.
The Rockets have several key pieces in their early 20s. They are built for a lengthy run at the top, and landing Austin Reaves would open that window further. AR is a proven floor spacer and bucket getter who would immediately take Houston to a new level. Growth from their young talent could set up a heavyweight showdown with the Thunder for West supremacy for years to come.
Rockets are the biggest threat to steal Austin Reaves from the Lakers
This likely takes a sign-and-trade as the Rockets want to keep Kevin Durant and Tari Eason on fresh extensions. Houston is loaded with young talent and draft capital to make any deal. They could dump money elsewhere, so the Lakers would be forced to play ball. LA got nothing for Dorian Finney-Smith and likely wouldn’t get a massive haul for Reaves.
Houston will be attractive, but AR has stated he wants to be a Laker for Life. The pressure is on LA to make him prove that stance next summer. They must put Reaves in positions to succeed and grow his impressive skill set.
The Rockets are closer to title contention than the Lakers right now. Houston was just the second seed in the Western Conference before adding Kevin Durant. Los Angeles has Luka Doncic. The Slovenian superstar gives them a puncher’s chance, but the Rockets are deeper, more talented, and better positioned to further upgrade their roster. That will all be attractive to Reaves as he looks to win his first championship.
The Spurs, Knicks, Jazz, and more have all been linked to AR already. Reaves will likely be the marquee free agent in 2026, and players of his caliber rarely hit the open market. There will be plenty of drama, but the Lakers hope they can convince him to remain in LA as Luka’s running mate for years to come.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have several threats preparing to sign Austin Reaves in the offseason. Houston is the early favorite, but much will change before he hits the open market. The Lakers are in for a challenge and need to win this to keep Luka Doncic happy. The pressure is already on, and this will be a situation to monitor all season. All fans can do is hope and stay tuned to see how it all plays out.