The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> are heading into what will almost certainly be a franchise-altering offseason, filled with change and the possibility of a bright future, as they build around superstar Luka Doncic<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perhaps the top priority for the Lakers this summer is securing Austin Reaves<\/a>\u2019 long-term future with the team. Reaves has a player option for the 2026-27 NBA season at $14.8 million, which he\u2019s expected to decline and become an unrestricted free agent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although all signs point to the Lakers re-signing Reaves when he becomes a free agent, there\u2019s a chance that the team faces some stiff competition on the open market, with some lucrative offers coming from other teams, even though the rising star has expressed an interest in staying in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n During a recent appearance on Mohr Stories with Jay Mohr<\/a>, husband of Lakers governor Jeanie Buss<\/a>, former Lakers center Vlade Divac was asked whether he\u2019d, as the former general manager of the Sacramento Kings, sign Reaves to an extension worth $241 million.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI love his game, but I wouldn\u2019t as a GM,\u201d Divac said. \u201cAs a fan, I would because he\u2019s a great guy, he\u2019s a great player, but he\u2019s not on Luka\u2019s level, let\u2019s say.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Divac is right from the standpoint that Reaves isn\u2019t on the level of a superstar like his teammate Doncic. However, this is also coming from the same general manager who passed on the opportunity to draft Doncic in 2018.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Instead of drafting Doncic at No. 2 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Divac chose to bring in Marvin Bagley III. In retrospect, Bagley turned out to be one of the biggest draft busts that year in a deep draft, with players like Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson going on to become star players in the league.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other notable players drafted after No. 2 include Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges and Michael Porter Jr. Clearly, Divac dropped the ball in 2018, which he regrets, but justifies by already having De\u2019Aaron Fox on the Kings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI had De\u2019Aaron Fox on my team,\u201d Divac said. \u201cSo, I was thinking, drafting Luka, I have to trade Fox because Luka is unbelievable. And Foxy was starting to show his capability, and then I realized, I have Luka, it\u2019s a small-market team, down the road, you are not going to keep him. He\u2019s going to go somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As for Reaves, it\u2019s highly unlikely the Lakers\u2019 brass will let the undrafted star slip through their fingers this summer, as it seems to be only a matter of time before Los Angeles signs him to a long-term deal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The real question moving forward is what the deal will look like and whether Reaves will get as much as the Lakers can offer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sign up to our <\/strong><\/em>free newsletter<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and follow us on <\/strong><\/em>YouTube<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>Facebook<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>X\/Twitter<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and <\/strong><\/em>Instagram<\/strong><\/em><\/a> for the latest news.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\nVlade Divac Thinks Lakers Shouldn\u2019t Sign Austin Reaves to Max Deal<\/h2>\n
Vlade Divac Regrets Passing on Drafting Luka Doncic<\/h2>\n
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