NBA Trade Rumors: Austin Reaves is expected to be retained by LA Lakers
Austin Reaves has been sidelined for the past nine games with a left hamstring strain. This came while he was in the midst of a breakout season in his second year in the league.
The LA Lakers will reportedly look to bring back their shooting guard, who will hit restricted free agency this summer, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. He revealed as much while discussing the Lakers' acquisition of Rui Hachimura, stating:
"The Lakers don’t make this deal without the intention of re-signing [Rui] Hachimura this summer. While second-round picks hold varying valuations depending on front office opinions, sending out three to acquire Hachimura and obtain his Bird rights is a significant price considering his $18.8 million cap hold.
"Los Angeles could clear just north of $30 million in space if the Lakers were to renounce Hachimura and other players’ rights, but the team is expected to also look to retain combo guard Austin Reaves. A dream scenario of signing or trading for a max-contract-level player just got a whole lot trickier."
Reaves is currently fourth on the team in win shares, trailing only Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Thomas Bryant. He is currently averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He is also shooting 48.8% from the field, 36.0% from 3-point range and 89.6% from the free-throw line and playing solid defense.
After going undrafted in 2021, Reaves joined the Lakers on a two-way contract, however, he impressed. Thus, he had his contract converted to a regular deal prior to the season opener. Aside from pursuing a third star, keeping Reaves, who has shown that he can play alongside Davis and James, will be one of the Lakers' biggest priorities this offseason.
It appears that the front office has learned from their mistake of letting Alex Caruso walk following the 2020-2021 season.
Watch highlights of Austin Reaves finishing the 2021-2022 season with a triple double below:
Austin Reaves is eighth in All-Star voting amongst Western Conference guards
While Austin Reaves has had a strong season, his ranking in the All-Star voting may come as a shock. The LA Lakers shooting guard is currently eighth in the conference amongst guards. He has received more votes than players such as Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Anthony Edwards, Zach LaVine and De'Aaron Fox.
Lakers' LeBron James and Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo lead in the NBA's third and final fan voting update for the All-Star Game: https://t.co/5NfWF2WbHs
Despite receiving support from fans, Reaves is unlikely to make the All-Star team as he is far behind projected starters Steph Curry and Luka Doncic. Seeing his name above perennial All-Stars and lottery picks, however, should still be encouraging. Especially for a player that was not drafted in what was not considered a strong draft class.