Spurs Could Poach Lakers' 3rd Star in Free Agency Next Season

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a pretty good position. They have one of the best players in the league under contract for the foreseeable future in Luka Doncic. They also have one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron James, and a 20+ point per game scorer in Austin Reaves.

How those three players gel this season will tell us a lot about what the Lakers may look like in the future. If things go well, Reaves will certainly get a hefty extension, and LeBron could decide to play a few more years before retiring. 

NBA insider Anthony Irwin recently reported on the Austin Reaves contract situation and how one team could be looking to steal him from the Lakers next season. 

“In all likelihood, Reaves will turn down his player option after this season and could command a contract in the ballpark of $30 to $35 million per year. Sources close to the situation say both he and the Lakers would like to continue their relationship for the foreseeable future, but doing so will only make sense if he and Doncic can prove they are a championship-caliber pairing…Doncic has already inked his max extension, and sources confirm reports that Reaves turned down extension, seeing as the most the Lakers could offer was four years, $89.2 million. If/when Reaves opts out of his current contract, he'll be an unrestricted free agent with plenty of interest. League sources say the San Antonio Spurs and other teams are keeping a close eye on Reaves' free agency.”

If Reaves and Luka don’t pair well on the court, the Lakers are going to need to make some tough decisions. If teams like the Spurs already have their eyes on Reaves’ impending free agency, Reaves could end up leaving the Lakers for nothing. 

If that seems like it could happen, the Lakers may want to trade Reaves before the season is over so they can avoid losing him for nothing. 

This is a big subplot of the Lakers' season that Lakers, Spurs, and NBA fans should keep a close eye on.