Austin Reaves’ $239 million demand from Lakers is NBA free company’s largest query

Who’s the very best NBA free agent in the summertime of the 2026? There’s not a variety of nice choices. LeBron James stays the largest title, however he’s set to show 42 years previous halfway by way of the season. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are each stable gamers, however they have been most just lately in a sixth man position. Norman Powell can get buckets, however his protection is a little bit of an eyesore, and he’s older than you would possibly assume at 33. There’s a pleasant record of restricted free brokers — Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson, Walker Kessler, Tari Eason — however it’s going to be onerous to pry them away from their groups.

For my cash, the very best out there NBA free agent this 12 months is Austin Reaves. Reaves will flip down his $14.9 million participant choice to turn out to be an unrestricted free agent in early July, and he may money in in an enormous means because of a depleted market.

Reaves’ max contract could be 5 years, $239 million if he re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers. If he indicators with one other workforce, essentially the most he may get is 4 years, $178 million. Given the leverage he has proper now, it’s no shock that Reaves and his illustration are pushing the Lakers for the complete max. Los Angeles Occasions reporter Brad Turner went on native TV on Thursday night time and mentioned “based mostly on what I perceive and what I hold listening to, Austin needs the max.” Turner added that he’s undecided Reaves will give the Lakers a hometown low cost. Watch the video right here:

Reaves signed what was a thought of a really team-friendly workforce final time he was a free agent — and he simply out-played it. In the summertime of 2023, the guard agreed to a four-year, $54 million that had a participant possibility within the ultimate season. Negotiating that possibility was a superb transfer by Reaves’ brokers, and now he will get to hit he open market once more at 28 years previous.

The Lakers are coming into a pivotal summer season. That is their huge probability to construct round Luka Doncic, and they should get it proper. Los Angeles has Reaves, James, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Maxi Kleber all coming off the books. Do any of those gamers match the Lakers’ long-term imaginative and prescient round Luka? If that’s the case, they’ll work to re-sign them, however provided that the entrance workplace believes they nonetheless have sufficient flexibility to proceed to construct out the workforce.

The Lakers are slated to have about $48 million in cap area this summer season, second most behind solely the Chicago Bulls. Chicago doesn’t look like a risk to signal Reaves in the mean time below a brand new entrance workplace led by Bryson Graham. Would the Brooklyn Nets — probably armed with $44 million in cap area — get entangled? That appears extra potential. Right here’s the cap area leaders this summer season, through insider Keith Smith.

After all, groups can create cap area fairly simply. Received a foul contract in your palms? Brooklyn or Chicago would doubtless be prepared to take it for the low, low worth of a promising younger participant or future draft picks.

Is there one other free agent the Lakers may worth over Reaves? Given the way in which Doncic will get essentially the most out of his facilities, I like the concept of Los Angeles concentrating on Duren with a max supply sheet. It’s potential Detroit would match to retain him, however it will really feel like a tough resolution after Duren’s disappointing playoff run this 12 months.

How a lot ought to the Lakers supply Austin Reaves?

Reaves is an superior offensive participant who struggles on protection. Can you actually win a championship with two weak defenders like Doncic and Reaves on the ground on the similar time? You higher have three superior defenders round them in that case. Reaves graded out as the 30th best player in the NBA this season by EPM by being the twenty seventh finest offensive participant and the 156th finest defensive participant. That’s only one metric, however it doesn’t appear too loopy to me.

If I’m the Lakers, I’m making an attempt to get Reaves to signal for below $40 million yearly when his max would put him at $47.8 million per 12 months. Given how the present CBA is squeezing salaries for mid-level gamers, I simply can’t see Reaves getting his full max anyplace, together with LA.

A good supply for Reaves could be 4 years, $150 million with a participant possibility on the ultimate season. That’s a median of $37.5 million per 12 months. The Lakers may front-load the deal to take care of extra cap area going ahead.

That is such a crucial summer season for the Lakers in the event that they ever wish to construct a championship workforce round Luka. Determining what to do with Reaves is their first huge resolution.