3 best landing spots for Austin Reaves if he leaves LA Lakers
Austin Reaves, age 25, was an undrafted player in the NBA. Reaves was signed by the Lakers and worked his way into the starting lineup for a large part of the regular season and playoffs last season. Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game last season.
While Reaves was a critical role player for the Lakers in the 2022-2023 season, he is a restricted free agent this summer. Here, we look at the possible landing spots for Austin Reaves if he leaves the LA Lakers.
Austin Reaves - Houston Rockets
Austin Reaves could make his way to the Houston Rockets this summer. The Rockets have the cap space needed to sign Reaves and need a combo guard. Reaves would fit nicely alongside Houston's young core with Kevin Porter Jr. (23) and Jalen Green (21).
Kelly Iko of the Atletic reported:
“Outside of Harden, other high-ranking targets for Houston include Brook Lopez, Dillon Brooks and restricted free agents Cam Johnson and Austin Reaves, league sources said”
Based on this report, Houston definitely has their eyes set on Austin Reaves. The Houston Rockets could potentially look to add both Harden and Reaves. If they can make this happen, it would arguably give the Rockets one of the best backcourts in the league and put them in a good spot moving forward.
Austin Reaves - San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs finished the 2022-2023 NBA Regular season with the worst overall ranking in the Western Conference. However, their expectations for the 2023-2024 NBA season are completely different after landing the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is being hailed as the best prospect of all time and is all set to change the fate of the Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama, selected 1st overall by the @spurs, takes in the moment.
Watch on ABC/ESPN! https://t.co/8c8YwWfXTj
The Spurs have a strong frontcourt with Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, and Jeremy Sochan. Johnson averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 rebounds last season and could be more effective with Wembanyama drawing the bulk of the attention. The backcourt is where the Spurs are currently lacking depth. They were one the worst 3-point shooting teams last season and lacked the elite play-making we have seen from Spurs over the years.
Under the coaching of Gregg Popovich, Austin Reaves could help turn things around for the Spurs. Reaves is a high-IQ player who would work well with Popovich and his system. Reaves would also alleviate some of the shooting struggles as he averaged 16.9 points and shot 44.2% on 3-pointers in the postseason.
Austin Reaves - Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a powerhouse of young players with tremendous potential. They feature guards like Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs and forwards like Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic have also added Anthony Black and Jett Howard to this mix.
While the Magic have plenty of guards, they lack true shooting, especially beyond the arc. This is a gap that Austin Reaves could fill. The young players would also fit well alongside Reaves, who himself is young but still brings a ton of experience. Reaves, having played alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and to have run the show while doing so, will add a new level of depth to the Magic.
Rookies like Anthony Black will find a lot of learning through Reaves' on and off-the-court demeanor and preparation. It would make the Orlando Magic a young, athletic, and dangerous team that could look to leave their impact on the court.