For a while, the loudest conversations in Los Angeles were centered around Austin Reaves. With the chaos of free agency taking the forefront, those discussions have been pushed aside. If the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for a brief, calming escape, the latest Reaves rumors are comforting.
Jake Fischer reported that the Lakers guard wants to be in Los Angeles. The NBA insider indicated those feelings are mutual and the front office has every intention of bringing the rising star back next summer. This extension being turned down had more to do with the money.
Dave McMenamin echoed that sentiment. The ESPN reporter hinted that Rob Pelinka and company knew things would play out exactly as they did.
McMenamin wrote, "The Lakers made the offer, sources said, understanding that Reaves would turn it down, but the franchise wanted to show its interest in him nonetheless and did not want to send the wrong signal by not offering it. Both sides ... are motivated to find a deal next summer."
With a lot of shifting parts during this time of the year, finding a sense of continuity can offer a healthy escape. For the Lakers, the Reaves situation currently provides that.
Lessening flight risk shifts the Austin Reaves conversation
There is no doubt that part of the reason Reaves has come up in trade ideas and speculation has had to do with the looming threat of the talented offensive guard potentially leaving for nothing. The idea of that happening appears to be cooling rapidly.
The concerns about a fork in the road upsetting that mutual interest at some point are not completely removed just yet. Who would have thought Dorian Finney-Smith would be a brief rental after the Lakers acquired him in 2024-25?
Pelinka completed ended up wasting the assets used to acquire the two-way wing in hindsight. That kind of mismanagement hurts a team greatly when that group is hoping to elevate to true contender status.
Reaves is more than just an asset. Thinking of the situation so plainly comes across as heartless and cruel. However, for a team pressed with few avenues to improve, it is difficult to ignore that utilizing the undrafted guard in a trade package could allow for that.
The rumors surrounding Reaves are certainly not going to disappear entirely. However, the common goal of both parties identified in the latest reports make it less apparent that trading the borderline star is an absolute necessity.