"I'm not going to Detroit" - Lakers guard Austin Reaves hilariously shuts down fan request to join Pistons
A fan recently attempted to recruit LA Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves to the Detroit Pistons. However, the Lakers fan favorite swiftly and humorously declined the offer to join the lowly franchise.
Coming off his third season, Reaves was the fourth-leading scorer on an LA team that finished seventh (47-35) in the competitive Western Conference. However, the Lakers struggled in the playoffs, falling 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets in Round 1. Thus, their veteran-laden roster, headlined by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, faces uncertainty.
LA has been rumored to be interested in several big-name players, including Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers stars Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell. A blockbuster trade to acquire a third star may have to involve Reaves. However, if the undrafted guard is ultimately dealt, he doesn't want it to be to Detroit.
While competing in the Good Good Midwest Open golf tournament on Wednesday, a fan told Reaves, "We need you on the Pistons, Austin." He promptly rebuffed his offer, much to the amusement of the surrounding crowd of bystanders.
"I'm not going to Detroit," Reaves said.
The Pistons finished the 2023-24 season with a league-worst 14-68 record. They followed that up by landing the No. 5 pick in what is projected to be a relatively weak 2024 NBA draft. Moreover, on Wednesday, they fired their coach, Monty Williams, one year after signing him to a historic six-year, $78.5 million contract.
So, the organization's future appears murky entering the offseason. Fortunately for Reaves, the Lakers are unlikely to ship him to the Motor City, given Detroit's lack of viable trade assets.
Lakers reportedly prefer to keep Austin Reaves
While Austin Reaves could be traded for a third star this offseason, the Lakers reportedly value him highly. In a May 30 report, The Athletic's Jovan Buha touched on the franchise's preference to retain Reaves, highlighting its reluctance to include him in previous trade talks.
“The Lakers would also prefer to keep Austin Reaves, according to team and league sources,” Buha said. “They previously refrained from including him in trade talks for [Dejounte] Murray at the 2024 trade deadline and Kyrie Irving at the 2023 trade deadline. Reaves’ playoff performances in 2023 and 2024 have affirmed his fit around James and Davis.”
Last offseason, Austin Reaves signed what many considered a bargain four-year, $53.83 million contract with a player option for the 2026-27 season. Thus, he is under contract until at least the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, he has been a reliable complementary scorer and playmaker. Over 82, games, including 57 starts, he averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.9 3-pointers per game on 48.6% shooting.
So, given Reaves' relatively cheap contract and consistent offensive production, it will likely take a considerable offer for LA to part with him.