Four years, $180 million! Lakers are stunned! Eastern Conference weaklings are scrambling for Reaves

The Nets are ready to hand Reaves a four-year, $178.5 million deal, and both the Pistons and Hawks are targeting him. His market price is at least $40 million per year......

Reaves was born on May 29, 1998, a 1.96m combo guard with a 1.98m wingspan, and went undrafted in 2021.

This guy has spent five seasons with the Lakers, posting All-Star caliber numbers this year: regular-season averages of 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals, with shooting splits of 49% from the field, 36% from three, and 87.1% from the line; in this postseason, he averaged 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks, shooting 40.7% overall, 25.7% from deep, and 86% from the free-throw line.

This summer, Reaves holds a $14.9 million player option that he can decline to become an unrestricted free agent. Of course, he is 100% certain to opt out, making him eligible for a five-year max contract worth up to roughly $241 million with the Lakers, or alternatively, as mentioned, a four-year deal around $180 million with another team.

A few days ago, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported:Reaves is seeking a five-year, $240 million max contract and may not accept any discount offer from the Lakers;Around the same time, numerous scouts and executives believe Reaves might ultimately stay with the Lakers on a five-year, $200 million deal.

Simply put, if the Lakers fail to offer Reaves a max contract, there is a real risk that another team will poach him with a max offer.

If Reaves indeed packs his bags and leaves, no one would be more upset than Dončić. As everyone knows, the two share a famously "close" relationship and strong on-court chemistry, but outsiders are skeptical that their duo can lead the Lakers to the top of the league.

As for the 41-year-old James, now a fully unrestricted free agent, there are no clear indications that he will return to the Lakers. In other words, his future remains uncertain, and the answer likely won't come until August.

In short, it may already be safe to conclude that the Lakers' Big Three of Dončić, James, and Reaves has completely become a thing of the past.