NBA Notes: Lakers, Austin Reaves, Jazz, Ace Bailey, Knicks

Lakers

The Lakers are heading toward what feels like one of the biggest offseasons in franchise history.

Everything now revolves around Luka Doncic. And somewhere near the top of the to-do list sits Austin Reaves.

Reaves is expected to decline his $14.8 million player option for 2026-27 and enter unrestricted free agency, though leaguewide expectation remains that the Lakers will ultimately keep him long term.

How much they pay him is where things get interesting.

Former Lakers center and ex-Sacramento Kings GM Vlade Divac recently said on Jay Mohr’s podcast that he would not offer Reaves a max-level extension worth roughly $241 million.

“I love his game, but I wouldn’t as a GM,” Divac said.

Of course, this is also the same Divac who famously passed on drafting Doncic in 2018, instead selecting Marvin Bagley III while stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young also remained on the board.

Divac admitted part of the reasoning at the time involved already having De’Aaron Fox and concerns about eventually keeping Doncic in a small market long term.

Either way, the Lakers are highly unlikely to let Reaves walk. The bigger question is whether they view him as a high-level complementary piece next to Doncic or something closer to a true co-star financially.

Jazz

The Jazz may still explore ways to move up in the draft. But don’t expect Ace Bailey to be part of the conversation.

Trade chatter has floated around the idea of Utah trying to move to No. 1 overall, potentially targeting AJ Dybantsa from the Wizards. According to longtime Jazz reporter Andy Larsen, though, the organization has zero interest in giving up Bailey to make it happen.

“They love Ace too much,” Larsen said on ESPN 700. “I would be stunned, stunned, stunned.”

Bailey improved dramatically as his rookie season progressed, averaging 18.3 points after the All-Star break while flashing the athleticism, length and scoring upside that made him such a coveted prospect in the first place.

Utah still could explore creative ways to move higher in the draft order. But league observers increasingly view Bailey as one of the franchise’s long-term cornerstone pieces.

Knicks

The Knicks are suddenly two wins away from the NBA Finals. That’s the good news.

The expensive part may come later.

New York’s playoff surge has raised the profile of several role players headed toward free agency, and with limited financial flexibility, the Knicks may not be able to keep everybody.

Jordan Clarkson is one name to watch after carving out a valuable bench role during the postseason. Landry Shamet has also revived his stock with several big playoff shooting performances after struggling earlier in the year.

Jeremy Sochan appears less likely to return simply because of roster construction. The Knicks already have significant frontcourt depth, and Sochan never fully cracked the postseason rotation after arriving late in the season.

That’s sometimes the price of winning. Players become more valuable. And suddenly keeping the roster together gets a whole lot tougher.

The biggie of course, is big man Mitchell Robinson. But by all accounts, he’ll be back. That’s the message being sent by those close to the team.