Austin Reaves is set to hit free agency after a career year with the Lakers. Will the Brooklyn Nets leverage their cap space to land the star guard?
Since returning to New York in 2012, the Brooklyn Nets know the power of accelerating a rebuild via free agency.
And, of course, the Nets know the dangers of destroying any and all momentum via ill-fated offseason trades.
First up could be Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who is slated to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
Despite often coming off the bench this season, Reaves set career-highs in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7) while averaging 5.5 assists. His 49% shooting percentage marked his highest since the 2022-23 season and a noteworthy bounceback from last year’s 46%.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Reaves “could command” as much as $40 million per season on his next contract.
“At present, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, who both have needs at the guard position, are the only teams with the sort of salary-cap space available to meet that sort of financial mark,” Dan Woike and Sam Amick wrote.
Woike and Amick added that the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks are also interested in Reaves, who turns 28 later this month.
However, there is one significant hurdle that the Nets may need to clear if they hope to land Reaves.
“League sources say winning will be a significant factor in Reaves’ thinking,” Woike and Amick shared.
Actually, seeing as the Nets are fresh off a 62-loss season, that may be more than a “significant hurdle.”
Reaves is hitting free agency at the right time, and he’s come a long way since going undrafted in 2021. He’ll have no shortage of suitors, especially if contenders — or, at the very least, teams with a realistic opportunity at next year’s Play-In Tournament — create the cap space required to sign Reaves.
Keep in mind that the NBA isn’t like Major League Baseball. Reaves almost certainly won’t be signing a front-loaded, short-term deal with opt-out clauses to either stay with the Lakers or to join another legitimate NBA Finals threat.
If the Nets must turn elsewhere to upgrade their backcourt, they could always turn to veteran CJ McCollum.
Although McCollum turns 35 in September, he’s still capable of producing at a capable level. He averaged 18.7 points on 45.5% shooting, slightly above his career average, in 76 games for the Wizards and Hawks this past season.
Understandably, though, don’t be surprised if the Nets’ focus is on bringing Reaves to Brooklyn. It’d be hard to blame him if he wanted to cash in and become the new face of a Nets team desperately seeking a return to competency.
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