Los Angeles Lakers star guard Austin Reaves is set to hit free agency, and he could command a massive deal this summer.
While Reaves could return to the Lakers, there have been reports of teams making near-max offers to the former undrafted star. One “potential bidder” has emerged, which is the Brooklyn Nets, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“One potential bidder to watch this summer, sources said, is the Brooklyn Nets, who will enter the offseason with more than enough salary cap space to accommodate a max-type player,” Bontemps wrote.
The max value projects at five years and $239 million, but Bontemps reported that several scouts and executives think Reaves’ deal will be around five years and $200 million.
The Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks were also previously linked to Reaves, but the Lakers star admitted he wanted to “run it back” with LA.
Reaves was undrafted after playing college basketball at Oklahoma, but he has become a key piece of the Lakers’ rotation. This season, he averaged 23.3 points with 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in the regular season, although he played a career-low 51 games due to injuries.
Right now, the expectation by many is that Reaves will return to LA, and it remains to be seen if LeBron James will wear the purple and gold again or play elsewhere if he decides to add another year to his legendary NBA career.
