Austin Reaves wants to be a Laker long-term, that much he outright said in his discussion this week with Shams Charania of The Athletic. Because he’s going to be a restricted free agent, it’ll be entirely up to the Lakers whether he’s with the team next season.
It’s a point that needs to be continually made, because any reports in the coming weeks and months about Reaves’ free agency should have that as the underlying takeaway. No matter how expensive he may become, it’s the Lakers call as to whether he stays with the franchise.