The Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls are two teams who have been consistently attached to Austin Reaves' upcoming free agency for one key reason: money. Both those squads have cap space, and both can financially compete with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Where the Lakers should have felt constant comfort in relation to those two is literally everything else the finances. In particular, Reaves has previously stated his preference for a winning situation. That gives Los Angeles a massive leg up on the rebuilding franchises in Brooklyn and Chicago.
The problem for the Lakers is the competition for Reaves' services going beyond just those two. Dan Woike of The Athletic pinpointed two teams who could join the sweepstakes for the talented offensive guard. Unlike the Bulls and Nets, these two should not be taken lightly.
"League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge."
Pistons and Hawks can compete with the Lakers beyond just finances
In a lot of ways, Reaves is exactly what either one of the Hawks or Pistons would be looking for in free agency. The Lakers guard could elevate each of those teams to the next level they are seeking.
For the Pistons, they could often be found struggling to generate consistent offense without Cade Cunningham. Their All-NBA guard did a lot of heavy lifting in that department during the 2025-26 season. Reaves would give Cunningham the best running mate he has ever had on offense.
Detroit also has the team structure to protect AR on the other end. The Pistons were the second-best defense during the regular season, posting a rating of 108.9 on that side of the court. They have more than enough options to give Reaves dependable help.
Switching over to the Hawks, their desire to land the star guard should be simple. They turned the corner after trading away Trae Young, and found success with CJ McCollum doing damage in the halfcourt. Imagine swapping out McCollum in that offense for the sizable upgrade of Reaves.
Similarly to the Pistons, the Hawks also have the personnel to protect their potential new arrival on defense. Following the All-Star break, Atlanta posted a defensive rating of 108.6 (second in the league) without the detrimental factor of Young's defense weighing them down.
Given that both these teams could position themselves to offer money and winning, this is who the Lakers should truly be concerned about in the upcoming weeks. Envisioning Reaves in a Bulls or Nets jersey is tough. The Hawks or Pistons? That is much more believable.
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