What if Austin Reaves Wants the Max? Could the Lakers Lose Reaves AND LeBron James?

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential contract situation of Austin Reaves and the implications for the Lakers if both he and LeBron James were to leave the team.

For much of the year, the expectation was that LeBron James wouldn't be back next season, but Austin Reaves would. Then the vibes (and the results) shifted, and it seemed like both would be back. Now, it looks like James is a little more iffy, but the assumption remains that the Lakers will re-sign Reaves. But Brad Turner of the LA Times, speaking on Spectrum Sportsnet (the Lakers TV home) said that Reaves is looking for the maximum amount of money he can get, and isn't interested in giving the Lakers a hometown discount. Some of this is obviously potential posturing, and a ton depends on how much teams like Brooklyn or Chicago -- franchises that have the space to give Reaves that kind of money -- actually are willing to offer, if anything. And then how high the Lakers go. Meanwhile, as the pendulum with James seems again to be swinging towards his departure, it's worth asking, could the Lakers lose both of them? It's not the most likely outcome, but also isn't impossible. What would that mean for the Lakers this summer? And how does the number the Lakers land on -- $30 vs.$35 vs. $40 vs. $45 million a year -- impact how they put a highly competitive team on the floor, not just…

People in this episode

Hosts: Andy Kamenetzky, Brian Kamenetzky

Topics covered

• Austin Reaves contract situation
• LeBron James future
• Lakers roster implications
• NBA salary cap
• team competitiveness

Keywords

• Austin Reaves
• LeBron James
• Lakers
• NBA
• contract
• salary cap
• free agency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LA Times, Spectrum Sportsnet, Brooklyn, Chicago

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