One could very easily argue that the Los Angeles Lakers are the luckiest franchise in the NBA. In 1979, they landed Magic Johnson after a three-year-old trade finally gave them a draft pick, and they had to win a coin flip to get the first overall pick.
More recently, they were able to swindle Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, and last season, they were the only team the Dallas Mavericks called when they decided to trade Luka Doncic.
Their luck doesn’t stop there. In 2021, they managed to steal Austin Reaves from the Detroit Pistons, and on September 27, 2021, they converted him to a standard contract.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves during player introductions.
Austin Reaves Almost Landed With Detroit Pistons
After a breakout senior season with the Oklahoma Sooners, Austin Reaves went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, although that was largely his fault. With the 42nd pick, the Pistons planned on selecting him, although Reaves told them not to.
“All I needed was an opportunity, and I knew that,” he said in a 2023 interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “We could have got drafted 42nd to Detroit, but kind of declined that to kind of put me in L.A. for a better spot.”
The Pistons would select Isaiah Livers instead, who played in 94 NBA games.
Reaves would go on to average 7.3 points in 61 games with the Lakers during his rookie season, although he quickly found his footing, posting 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season while shooting 46% from the floor and 37.7% from deep.
Reaves’ Lakers Gamble Almost Didn’t Pay Off
Instead of playing for the Pistons, who were coming off their second 20-win season in a row, Reaves forced his way to the Lakers.
Had he played in Detroit, he would have received a non-guaranteed contract standard for second-round picks, although with the Pistons’ weak depth chart at the time, he certainly would have gotten plenty of playing time.
The Lakers, however, wanted Reaves, and with a better roster, he was willing to be undrafted if it meant heading to Los Angeles.
“We knew that there was a high interest for a two-way,” he said of the Lakers. “So, we didn’t really have to press.”
With the Lakers, Reaves was behind Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Avery Bradley in the depth chart. In his first chance to prove himself, in the summer league, Reaves floundered, averaging a very inefficient seven points and two assists in five games.
Still, the Lakers saw enough in him, and his two-way contract was converted to a standard deal before he even made his debut, allowing him to slowly take on a bigger role and shine for the NBA’s most famous franchise.
Heading into his fifth NBA season, Reaves is touted as the best third option in the game and is expected to command roughly $30 to $35 million per season, assuming he opts out of his contract at the end of the year.
Moving forward, Reaves is slated to be the running mate for Luka Doncic long-term in Los Angeles, so his gamble paid off.
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