Coming off a breakout 2022-23 season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is set to cash in as a restricted free agent this summer.
On the latest episode of the HoopsHype podcast, The Athletic's Jovan Buha cited the San Antonio Spurs as a potential "dark-horse" candidate who "will try to poach" Reaves from the Lakers.
Reaves is eligible for restricted free agency this summer after signing with the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in August 2021. His performance this season, especially in the playoffs, significantly increased his free-agent value.
Michael Scotto noted on the podcast the maximum deal Los Angeles can offer Reaves is around $54 million over four years, but the team does have the ability to match any offer sheet he might get from another club.
NBA insider Marc Stein noted in a recent Substack chat (h/t NBC Sports' Kurt Helin) there "will be at least one" team that makes Reaves an offer that's more expensive than the Lakers want to give the 25-year-old.
Buha noted on Wednesday a $20 million annual salary "is where things might get a bit dicey" for the Lakers with Reaves.
The Spurs would make sense as a potential landing spot for Reaves because they have every reason to move up their timeline. Landing the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft coming out of the lottery gives them the right to select Victor Wembanyama.
Adding Wembanyama to a young core that includes Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham would be a good starting point for the franchise, but the Spurs need more shooting.
San Antonio ranked 22nd in the league in three-pointers made per game (11.1) and 26th in three-point success rate (34.5 percent).
Reaves averaged 13.0 points per game on 39.8 percent three-point shooting in 64 appearances during the 2022-23 regular season. He went to another level in the playoffs with 16.9 points and a 44.3 percent success rate from behind the arc on 5.5 attempts per game in 16 starts.
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