The Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Atlanta Hawks have been mentioned as potential teams that could compete with the Lakers for Austin Reaves’ signature this offseason.
Four teams have been mentioned as potential rivals for the Los Angeles Lakers to sign Austin Reaves this offseason.
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves
MIN: 34.78
PTS: 22.93 (60.77%)
REB: 4.63
AS: 5.53
ST: 0.98
BL: 0.47
TO: 3.12
GM: 57
According to The Athletic, at present, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are currently the only teams with the required cap space to sign Reaves, while the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks are teams known to have shown some interest in the Lakers star.
"Rival executives predicted Reaves could command $40 million a season due to a combination of his play, his age and, perhaps most importantly, a free-agent class completely devoid of players as productive as him in their prime. At present, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, who both have needs at the guard position, are the only teams with the sort of salary-cap space available to meet that sort of financial mark," The Athletic reports.
Credit AP - Scanpix
"Other teams that are known to have some interest in Reaves - like Utah and Atlanta, per league sources - would need to make roster moves to find the necessary space. League sources say winning will be a significant factor in Reaves’ thinking."
Reaves capped off his 2025-26 season with career-best numbers in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7), shooting 49 percent from the field. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 51 appearances, the lowest since he entered the NBA in 2021 as a little-known undrafted prospect.
Still, despite the calf injury that kept him out from Christmas Day to early February and an oblique complication from the final three games of the regular season until Game 5 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets, Reaves clearly established himself as a cornerstone piece for LA in the Luka Doncic era.
He is widely expected not to exercise his $14.8 million 2026-27 player option and to explore the market. As such, all signs suggest that the Lakers will strive to retain him.
As the offseason officially begins for both sides, Reaves and the Lakers’ situation will stand as one of the most anticipated parts of free agency over the next couple of weeks.
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