Detroit was ready to blow up part of its roster for Austin Reaves. That much is now clear from reporting that came out after the Lakers guard signed his four-year, $185 million extension. The Pistons, according to multiple reports, were willing to offer Reaves a max contract and had trade preparations in place to clear the cap space. One name that kept coming up: Isaiah Stewart. The team was reportedly ready to move the big man to create financial flexibility.
Reaves never actually hit free agency. The Lakers locked him up before he could test the market, giving him the richest deal ever for an undrafted player. But the fact that Detroit was this aggressive tells you how badly they wanted him. It also tells you how badly they think they need shooting.
What Reaves Would Have Fixed in Detroit
The Pistons were the No. 1 seed in the East last season, but their offense had a ceiling. Cade Cunningham is at his best attacking the rim. Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson both prefer to play downhill. Jalen Duren lives in the paint. That’s a lot of bodies in the same space. Reaves just averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 assists per game, and he can score from anywhere on the floor. He’d have given Detroit a release valve for all that slashing and pressure. The Pistons barely survived the first round against an eight-seed, and a lot of people pointed to their lack of floor spacing as the reason.
Reaves isn’t just a shooter, though. He’s a legitimate secondary creator. He can run pick-and-roll, make reads, and hit pull-up threes. Pairing him with Cunningham would have given the Pistons two guys who can bend a defense. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the East.
Why the Lakers Didn’t Let It Get That Far
Los Angeles wasn’t about to lose a homegrown talent for nothing. The extension came together fast. And it came less than a day after the Lakers traded up to draft Cameron Carr in what some analysts called one of the steals of the 2026 draft. The Lakers are clearly thinking about life after LeBron James. The kid from Akron is 41 now. He’s still one of the best players in NBA history, but he’s gauging his options. Bringing him back at the right number makes sense — but they just committed max money to Reaves, so the cap math gets tricky fast.
On the other hand, James leaving might actually accelerate Reaves’ development into a true star. He’d have the keys. And the Lakers, for all their chaos, seem to believe that’s a future worth betting on.
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