Los Angeles Lakersguard Austin Reaves is shaping up to be one of the most coveted names in the upcoming free agency, as he has drawn interest from several NBA teams, according to weekend reports, following the impressive season he is putting together in California.
Reaves, who went undrafted, has become one of those breakout stories that arrive without major media spotlight, but after completing five years in the league, he has now established himself to the point that few remember his path to the NBA was very different from that of other stars.
Before suffering a muscle injury on December 25, he was averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game, with 50% shooting from the field-numbers that place him among the most productive guards in the NBA.
The teams interested in Austin Reaves
His performance this season and his status as an unrestricted free agent have sparked interest from several franchises, including one valued at an estimated 4.1 billion dollars.
Journalist Kevin O’Connor said on his podcast that the Utah Jazz plan to make an aggressive move for Reaves this summer, taking advantage of the fact that they could have up to 70 million in salary cap space.
Joining them are the San Antonio Spurs and the Brooklyn Nets, who have also been mentioned as possible destinations.
But before any move can be made, the Lakers hold the advantage to retain him thanks to his Bird Rights. It is estimated that the Los Angeles team could offer him a contract of up to 241 million for five years, while his rivals for his signature would only be able to reach 178 million for four years.
Reaves’ desire is to remain where he is, and he already expressed that last November to ESPN when he said: “I want to be here, I want to win. I’m not thinking about getting a gigantic number that doesn’t make sense,” making it clear that his priority was not money.
The decision will not be an easy one. Reaves could choose to continue alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in pursuit of a championship ring, or make the leap to become the number one option on another franchise, following the path James Harden took in 2012 when he sought to create his own dynasty by leading a project-although there is also no guarantee that such a gamble would end up being successful.
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