Austin Reaves’ phone is likely to start buzzing frequently in the coming days, now that the Los Angeles Lakers and all other teams are permitted to open talks with their impending free agents.
Reaves has already made it known that he plans to explore what’s out there on the open market, and there’s every expectation that he’ll draw considerable interest from multiple franchises. Even though he appeared in just 51 games this season a new career low due to a calf issue and a hamstring problem, his two-way skill set continues to make him a highly sought-after player.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, both the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons could emerge as potential suitors for the 28-year-old guard. Stein also cautioned, however, that “neither is seen as a certainty yet.”
“There have been recent rumbles, in fact, about the Nets potentially looking at shorter deals if they do decide to be aggressive in free agency,” Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter.
“League sources say that the Pistons, meanwhile, are expected to focus on potential trade additions rather than free-agent targets when it comes to bolstering their shooting so as not to further complicate tricky looming contract extension negotiations with restricted free agent-to-be Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, who will be rookie-scale contract extension eligible from July 6 until the eve of opening night in October.”
There’s no doubt that Reaves would be a valuable addition for Detroit, and the idea of slotting him alongside Cade Cunningham in the backcourt has obvious appeal. However, the Pistons appear more inclined toward maintaining stability with their current young core.
Duren will be looking to bounce back following a postseason performance he’d rather forget, while Thompson is widely expected to keep building on his trajectory as one of the premier defenders in the NBA.
Names like Lauri Markkanen, Trey Murphy III, and Michael Porter Jr. have surfaced in trade chatter connected to Detroit.
As for the Lakers, they’re widely assumed to be intent on bringing Reaves back, especially after Luka Doncic made it clear that he wants to continue sharing the court with his good friend.
Stein also pointed out that there is “inherent skepticism” around the league regarding whether another team could actually pull Reaves away from Los Angeles.
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