Matt Johnson
Early NBA rumors heading into the summer have pointed to an increasing possibility of LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. If one Eastern Conference team has its way, he won’t be the only starter departing Los Angeles.
Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that the Brooklyn Nets are interested in Austin Reaves and expected to offer the shooting guard a four-year contract worth $178.5 million.
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- Austin Reaves stats (2025-26): 23.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 2.3 3PM per game, 36% 3PT
Reaves, who turned 28 years old at the end of May, earned $14.898 million this past season in the final year of a $53.827 million contract with Los Angeles. Coming off a breakout season, he is widely expected to receive multi-year offers this summer worth north of $40 million per season.
If Reaves were to sign a four-year, $178.5 million contract with Brooklyn or any other team, he would immediately become one of the highest-paid shooting guards in the NBA. At that AAV, per Spotrac, Reaves’ $44.625 million average annual salary would rank sixth in the NBA. It would put him just behind Anthony Edwards ($48.924 million) and well ahead of Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden ($42.417 million).
Related: Latest Intel on Potential Cost of Austin Reaves Contract
Brooklyn won’t be the only team after Reaves. Woike reported that, if they can clear the cap space, the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are “among a group of interested teams” that may attempt to make competitive offers for Reaves.
Reaves is effectively the most attractive option available this summer in NBA free agency. With LeBron only expected to consider a select number of teams and there being limited cap space, Reaves’ age and scoring ability make him the most coveted player.
Related: Execs Predict Likely Cost of Austin Reaves Contract
The expectation remains that Reaves will inevitably re-sign with the Lakers, coming back to the club with an opportunity to match the best offer he receives. However, given the number of teams interested in him, the cost of bringing him back might now be even higher than Los Angeles anticipated.
