The Los Angeles Lakers look unsettled, and so does the future of one of their rising stars. Austin Reaves took a huge bet on himself this season. He declined an extension, willing to earn a bigger payday with his production. That’s led to not only Reaves having a sensational breakout season, but also stiff competition for the Lakers to thwart during the summer. Their first of many rivals could be the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz, sitting at 14-27, will have the cap space over the next summer to add a star. Although a bottom seed, the team has crafted a flattering nucleus of young players, with Lauri Markannen emerging as the standout star. For those reasons, Kevin O’Connor believes the Jazz could see Reaves as a piece to unlock their potential.

“I think the Utah Jazz are going to be a team that has big interest in Austin Reaves this summer. There are going to be teams that make a big max offer for Reaves, and he’s going to have that choice. So the Lakers—like, Rich Paul’s not saying it—but I’m sure Rich Paul has that same exact information about where Reaves could go this offseason,” O’Connor said on The Kevin O’Connor Show.

As polarizing as it was for Rich Paul to suggest trading Austin Reaves, it would shield the Lakers from possibly getting nothing in return. Getting Jaren Jackson Jr., if available, would address their defensive troubles while pairing Luka Doncic with an agile lob threat. It’s a path to rescue their current season, where stability has evaded the Purple and Gold.

But on the flip side, Austin Reaves has forwarded his intentions to remain with the Lakers for the long-term. He has built an unbelievable partnership with Doncic on the court. And going into the summer, the Lakers will have a chance to upgrade their roster around the tandem.

LeBron James clears a path for the Lakers to improve their roster

With how the Lakers’ season has progressed, there’s always a chance Austin Reaves considers a future outside of LA. However, his affinity towards the team provides some assurance to the Lakers. They can still be committed to building around Doncic and Reaves with the flexibility they will attain over the summer.

Notably, LeBron James is in the final year of his contract with the Purple and Gold. He opted into his player option, possibly making this his final season with the Lakers. That’s $52.6 million off the salary sheets for the team. Most of that money will be invested into an extension for Austin Reaves, who is admired by both Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers also have Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, and Maxi Kleber on expiring contracts. If anything, they can prepare for a major roster overhaul in the summer. A large list of progressive role players, such as Robert Williams III or Mitchell Robinson become possible options they can explore. There’s also chatter that the Lakers could look to sign Jonathan Kuminga before the February trade deadline. At $24 million, that’s a safe bet that helps address some of the team’s weaknesses.

As things are, it doesn’t look like Austin Reaves wants to leave the Lakers. Neither does the club want to part ways. Hence, with the resources available next season, expect the Purple and Gold to build a complementary roster that sees them inch closer towards being a complete team.