Lakers News: West Rival May Drive Up Prices Of LA’s Restricted Free Agents

How will this change things for LA?

Free agency in the NBA starts this week and the Lakers have all sorts of work to do. Will they run things back with the core of players that just saw them reach the Western Conference Finals? Or will they try and make a major move to heavily increase their chances next season? The team has signaled that they want to retain their core from last year but that will take some cap maneuvering on their part.

All will be revealed in time but restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are two players that LA wants back. However, the secret of their play is out and other teams will be vying for the services of the restricted free agents. One in particular has been linked to them and they have the cap space to make things interesting. That is the Houston Rockets.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the latest report below:

“According to a person with knowledge of their thinking, they have interest in the [Milwaukee] Bucks’ Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, the [Denver] Nuggets’ Bruce Brown, the [Utah] Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves"

Per The Houston Chronicle

It would make sense for the Rockets to be interested in both Reaves and Hachimura. They are a young team that is looking to make a jump next season. Given that they're restricted free agents for LA, the Lakers would have the right to match any offer extended to them by a rival franchise.

LA has been rumored to want to bring both players back with Reaves being plan 1A and Hachimura plan 1B. It has been reported that the team will do whatever it takes to keep Reaves so Houston may only have a chance to drive the price up for him. But with Hachimura is where things get interesting.

If a team like the Rockets were to give Hachimura a nice offer of let's say at least $20 million a season, the Lakers would then really need to think about letting him walk. Hachimura is a solid player that could very well help the Lakers out but that is a lot for his services. I think a deal somewhere in the $13 to $17 million range is ideal for Hachimura and it has been reported that the Lakers view things similar. 

At the end of the day, I expect both Reaves and Hachimura to be back with the purple and gold but it also makes sense for opposing teams to drive up the price for both to make the Lakers at least think about not matching things.

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