The Los Angeles Lakers are widely expected to retain Austin Reaves this offseason, even as rival teams prepare to pursue the talented guard in free agency, via Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
Reaves holds a $14.9 million player option for next season, but league expectations are that he will decline the option and enter unrestricted free agency when the market opens in July.
Among the teams reportedly monitoring the situation are the Brooklyn Nets, who are projected to have significant cap space available this summer.
Recent reports suggest Brooklyn could make a serious effort to sign Reaves if he becomes available.
Even though Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent and the Lakers technically will not possess matching rights, there remains optimism in Los Angeles.
According to reports, Reaves’ representatives are expected to give the Lakers an opportunity to meet or exceed any offer he receives before a final decision is made.
The Lakers are also believed to have a specific financial strategy in mind if they reach an agreement on a new contract with Reaves.
Rather than immediately finalizing the deal, Los Angeles could delay the signing in order to maximize its offseason flexibility.
By doing so, the Lakers could pursue a cap-space approach and potentially open nearly $50 million in room under the salary cap.
Under that scenario, the organization would first use its available cap space to complete other roster moves while maintaining Reaves’ cap hold and Bird rights.
Once those transactions are finished, the Lakers could then officially re-sign Reaves to his new contract.
As a result, despite growing interest from other teams, the expectation around the league remains that Reaves will continue to be a key part of the Lakers’ long-term plans.
Lakers Expected To Re-Sign Austin Reaves https://t.co/ghpgfBzYVi
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 14, 2026
