Austin Reaves was one of the top players set to hit the open market this offseason. Before the Los Angeles Lakers star could hit free agency, though, his team extended his contract for four years and $185 million. It is the richest contract for an undrafted player in NBA history and ensures that Reaves will be the Robin to Luka Doncic’s Batman going forward.
Had the undrafted superstar not re-signed, there was going to be free agent interest from multiple teams. One team that was willing to pay a pretty penny to pry Reaves away from Los Angeles was the Detroit Pistons, who, according to Shams Charania, were willing to give the shooting guard a max-level salary. According to Marc Stein, the Pistons were even preparing to make trades to create the flexibility necessary, with an Isaiah Stewart trade reported as one move the team was ready to make.
Reaves just averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 assists per game in a fifth season in which he broke out from good player to great one. The two-guard can score from all three levels of the court and is a solid playmaker, which are skill sets the Pistons covet. The team particularly needs more shooting for their slasher-heavy roster.
The Pistons earned the one-seed in the Eastern Conference last season. However, they struggled in the playoffs and were nearly eliminated in the first round by an eight-seed. Cade Cunningham is best when getting downhill, Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson are drivers, and Jalen Duren is an interior-based player. Reaves’ shooting and scoring expertise would have fixed a lot of problems and thrusted them further into contention in the East.
The Lakers were unwilling to risk losing their homegrown talent for nothing, though. The signing comes less than a day after the Lakers traded up for Cameron Carr in what was one of the steals of the 2026 NBA Draft. The team now has to make a decision on what to do with LeBron James. The kid from Akron is one of the best players in NBA history, but he is also 41 years old and gauging his options in the twilight of his career. At the right price, bringing back The Chosen One wouldn’t be a bad idea, but that will be easier said than done after handing Reaves the maximum. Plus, James’ departure could allow Reaves to take another step forward as a superstar.
The post NBA rumors: Pistons were ready to make trade to make run at Austin Reaves before Lakers deal appeared first on ClutchPoints.
