The offseason is here! Well, not officially, but with just four teams remaining in the postseason, the rest of the league has already started plotting their moves for the future. Two such teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Both suffered a similar fate this season, with them being eliminated by Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves. Well, this isn’t the only similarity between the two Western Conference teams.
They had a pretty similar trajectory throughout the season. The Warriors looked lackluster until they acquired Jimmy Butler midway through the season. As for the Lakers, Luka Doncic’s arrival was the spark they needed. However, it seems this trend is going to the offseason as well.
According to reports from NBA insiders, the Lakers and the Warriors are battling to acquire a free agent. Yes, you heard us. Both LA and the Golden State are eyeing former Warriors star De’Anthony Melton. The 26-year-old combo guard has been out of the court since last summer after suffering what was a catastrophic ACL injury. Before that, he was inked to the Warriors with a one-year deal. The former USC guard quickly won Golden State’s head coach, Steve Kerr’s, trust and rightly so. He was averaging a stunning 10.3 points from 40.7 percent shooting from the field and an impressive 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. It looked good for Melton until tragedy struck and he got injured.
The 26-year-old then underwent a season-ending surgery. Now, as he recovers from this massive setback, teams are knocking at the door to sign the guard, especially because he provides a great option with a really small contract.
“De’Anthony Melton could be an intriguing veteran minimum target for the Warriors,” Anthony Slater stated. On the other hand, “The Lakers could also emerge as the potential destination for the former Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton,” Jovan Buha stated.
So, it seems things are picking up pace between the two big hitters of the West. However, who will land the 26-year-old guard?
The Lakers could also emerge as the potential destination for the former Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, per @jovanbuha https://t.co/ygZJkg8TVy pic.twitter.com/Yh7aXHI8hD
— GSW Ball Report (@GSWBallReport) May 25, 2025
Well, no one can predict this at the moment, given that both teams would love a minimum contract player of his caliber. This would give either team a huge advantage in their hunt to further bolster their roster for the upcoming campaign. Keeping that in mind, both teams have a lot to figure out apart from this free agent situation. Meanwhile, it seems Austin Reaves’ agent has had enough of the trade talks.
Austin Reaves’ agent sends a stern message to Rob Pelinka and the Lakers
Austin Reaves emerged as one of the biggest surprises for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Yes, we are claiming that despite them landing the Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic from Dallas. That’s because not many expected him to go off this season! Reaves averaged 20.2 points along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the regular season. Of course, he was expected to emulate his heroics in the playoffs, something he could not pull off, as LA went out crashing. Since then, his name has popped up in several trades.
Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Another potential reason for his name being thrown around in trade rumors is his contract situation. The shooting guard is eligible for a four-year, whopping $89.2 million extension, but is not expected to sign the deal. According to reports, he would instead become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 and get a much more lucrative $42.5 million per year deal. So, Rob Pelinka and Co. do have some incentive to trade Reaves this summer. However, his agent thinks otherwise. According to Austin Reaves’ agent, Aaron Reilly, the fans have no idea what’s to come. “Next year is going to be a show.” Reilly wrote on X, replying to a highlight reel of his client.
Next year is going to be a show. People really have no idea what’s to come. Keep putting him in trade rumors for second string centers. @TheRealReggieB https://t.co/Q6ROei9DNi
— Aaron Reilly (@AMRAgency) May 24, 2025
“People really have no idea what’s to come. Keep putting him in trade rumors for second-string centers.” Well, no one has an idea about what Reaves is going to do next season. However, you have to agree with his agent on the fact that AR deserves much more respect. His being named in trades for second-string centers isn’t really fair, given the season he is coming off.
Nonetheless, it will be worth watching what the Lakers’ front office thinks of this situation. Will they keep AR? Or trade him? Only time will tell, as a huge offseason awaits Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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