Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we continue our series with a look at Austin Reaves.

Certain players are always connected to Los Angeles. There are the obvious ones, like Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. But you don’t have to be a legend for your entire Lakers tenure to be remembered for your time inpurple and gold.

Anytime one of the young Lakers from the post-Bryant era finds success, they get love from fans. Josh Hart remains loved by Lakers fans. And even people like Nick Young are remembered, even if they spent more time elsewhere and won a title elsewhere.

So much of Austin Reaves’ story is still left to be written, but one thing is clear: he will always be a Laker. The question is whether his journey will continue in LA.

Reaves is expected to turn down his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Throughout his career, he has far exceeded even the rosiest of projections people have had of him. He has improved every year, and with him reportedly wanting upwards of $40 million, it seems either the Lakers or another team will oblige.

In an ideal world, the Lakers can pay Reaves whatever number he wants, and that’d be that.

However, nothing is ever ideal, and the NBA operates under a restrictive new salary cap. Paying Reaves will not dramatically impact what they do this year, but in the years ahead, it could prevent LA from adding impactful new pieces.

Although letting such an uber talent like Reaves walk away could also be dire and set the franchise back for years to come.

LA has a lot of decisions to make this summer to turn this team from a fun 50-win roster to a title contender. And the first, and perhaps biggest, decision they have is what to do with Reaves.

How did he play?

It was a tale of two seasons for Reaves.

He was an offensive juggernaut this year, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. His scoring and rebounding numbers were career highs and his point total has increased every single season.

Not only were his numbers fantastic, but his play in key moments during the regular season also stood out. He posted his career high 51 points in a win over the Kings and he helped atone for his playoff struggles against the Wolves by hitting a game-winner against Minnesota.

As the season progressed, it became clear the Lakers were a better team with Luka Dončić’s running mate being Reaves rather than LeBron. So, as the season progressed, Reaves’ usage continued to increase. By March, Reaves became a higher-usage player for the Lakers than James.

This meant the ball was in Reaves’ hands more often, and there were a ton of pick-and-roll actions with him and Luka. The result? The Lakers went 15-2 in March, their best month as a franchise since the 1999-00 season.

At that point, the Lakers were the hottest team in the NBA, and Reaves’ stock was at an all-time high. However, that’s not where the story ended.

Unfortunately, Reaves suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain in early April, ending his regular season and putting his playoff availability in question.

Thanks to Reaves, working his tail off in his recovery, he was able to return in the first round against the Rockets. While his return was commendable, his play once he touched the floor left a lot to be desired.

Reaves went 4-16 in LA’s Game 5 loss against Houston. They advanced and beat the Rockets in six games, but then against the Thunder, Reaves struggled massively.

He couldn’t handle the physicality of OKC’s defenders. His field goal percentage dropped from 49% during the regular season to 42% against the Thunder. From deep, he was even worse, going from knocking down 36% of his 3-pointers to just 30%.

As an on-ball creator, he was awful. Reaves had 27 turnovers compared to just 35 assists. He also had the second-worst plus-minus on the team at -59.

As a defender, Reaves didn’t silence his critics with his second-round play. He was relentlessly attacked and demonstrated the resistance of a turnstile.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell scored in bunches on Reaves, which is why he was often the defender they were looking for.

In Reaves’ defense, he was fresh coming off his injury, and the playoffs are a tough place to try to get back to 100% health.

Also, he improved as the series against the Thunder progressed. In Game 2, he scored a game-high 31 points on 10-16 shooting, and in Game 4, he had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

What is his contract situation moving forward?

If Reaves declines his player option like everyone expects him to, he will be an unrestricted free agent. Given how good he’s been, to retain Reaves, the Lakers are likely looking at paying him $40 million or more. Although Reaves has stated he isn’t just looking to make as much money as possible. Winning matters to him as well.

The good news is that his cap hold this year will be approximately $20.9 million, which helps the Lakers this offseason. It means they’ll be able to pay him without feeling the impact of every dollar he makes right away in their books.

Should he be back?

He has his flaws like any other player, but ideally, Reaves will be back next year. He has room to grow, but has proven he’ll do the work to get there time and time again.

However, the Lakers have to be smart with what those numbers look like. Los Angeles, as currently constructed, is not good enough to win a title. Reaves is fantastic, but he’s not Luka. He doesn’t get a blank check, no questions asked. The deal has to make sense because the Lakers need flexibility to acquire players who can elevate the team to the next level even past this offseason.

The Lakers might think their backcourt’s defensive woes are exaggerated, but they aren’t lockdown defenders either. LA needs better defenders around their duo and likely a dominant frontcourt player to add to this roster.

In the end, it’s in LA’s best interest to continue this partnership with Reaves. They just need to do so while making Austin happy and still allowing them to add to their roster so they can be contenders once again.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

With the New York Knicks taking down the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals, the 2025-26 season has officially come to an end.

Teams are now allowed to speak to their own free agents and start mapping out their offseason. For the Sixers, that means Kelly Oubre, Jr., Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond. The likelihood of all three coming back feels very low. Drummond has likely played his last game in Philadelphia. Oubre and Grimes are talented but flawed rotation players who could conceivably be back.

Also, the 2026 NBA Draft is a little over a week away now. Mock drafts have the Sixers taking players like Chris Cenac, Dailyn Swain, Allen Graves and Jayden Quaintance. The options at 22 are very uncertain, but this is a good and deep draft class.

Hit me with you questions below!

The New York Knicks aren’t just NBA champions, they’re a lesson in perseverance. Proof positive why you should never quit on your team, no matter how dark it gets, no matter how bleak the future seems, no matter how much an owner tries to push you away. James Dolan’s name might be on the papers, but Saturday night proved that the Knicks don’t belong to him — they belong to New York.

It’s impossible not to love the scenes from New York following the Knicks’ breaking their 53-year championship drought. Did the celebration go too far? Sure. Did it turn the streets into anarchy? Absolutely. Did it closely resemble the Joker’s clown parade in Batman Returns? It sure did. It was also magical, inspiring, and reminded us how powerful sports can be, even as we become jaded in the face of ticket scalpers, political movements, and greedy owners who put their own motivations ahead of a city. When the dust settles, it’s about simply this: A small group of individuals who came together as a team, to bring joy to millions who have invested their heart and souls into loving a team their entire lives. People who said “this could be our year” more times than they could count, and when it comes to the NBA there is not a single more passionate, longer-suffering fanbase than the New York Knicks.

No doubt there would have been joy in San Antonio too, but it would have hit different. All due respect to Spurs fans, but even y’all have to admit that your franchise has had a horseshoe lodged up your derriere for the better part of 30 years. From drafting Tim Duncan during David Robinson’s ONE injury year to winning the Wemby sweepstakes, it just wouldn’t have been satisfying to see another Spurs win. Moreover, San Antonio is a competent, sensible organization run like a successful business — it’s not the Knicks, where fans have had to endure James Dolan’s whims at every turn, doing his level best to destroy the organization from within while playing a piano solo in his nepo band.

Dolan and the Knicks have given fans HUNDREDS of reasons to pack it in over the years. I don’t know how Spike Lee managed to endure the pain for as long as he did — but not just the pain, the promise. The possibility that Patrick Ewing, and John Starks would win a title, then if Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston could get the job done, then Carmelo, Amare, and J.R. Smith. Fans continually experience the yo-yo whiplash of made that make them believe, before seeing opportunity get yanked away, like a cat toy from a desperate tabby. They’ve seen brilliant teams under the guidance of Jeff Van Gundy, Mike D’Antoni, and Tom Thibodeau all establish specific eras of Knicks disappointment, which makes it all the more magical right now.

This Knicks team was so decidedly un-Knicks. Jalen Brunson is obviously a superstar, but this team was defined by doubt, not promise. Nobody believed Karl-Anthony Towns was good enough to be a focal point, Mickal Bridges was an overpaid addition; heck, Mike Brown was almost universally reviled when he was hired to lead this iteration of the Knicks, because his career before New York was defined by everything the organization was trying to avoid. Brown routinely led promising teams, only to fall short — and the assumption was that he would do the same with the Knicks. He didn’t. Instead, he prevailed.

The conclusion of the NBA season isn’t just for fans of the Knicks, but for every long-suffering fan in sports. A reminder that success can happen when you least expect it. If you pack it up and ignore a team, finally beaten down by the frustration — sure, nobody will know you took a break, but deep down you will. The pain is what makes moments like this legendary. The inescapably sour that finally gives way to the sweet. A chance to take to the streets, party like it’s the end of the world, and know that all the emotional effort wasn’t in vain.

James Dolan doesn’t own the Knicks, he’s merely a caretaker. This isn’t his championship, it’s New York’s. The 2025-26 season will have a legacy that exists when Dolan is gone and forgotten, which means he never really won. One billionaire can try to kill a team, but the city never let it happen. Let them be a reminder for all of us.

The Chicago Bulls plan to hire Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

Splitter took over as Portland's head coach in October 2025, after Chauncey Billups was arrested for his alleged role in an illegal gambling operation.

Splitter, 41, led the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 finish in 2025-26, taking Portland to the first round of the NBA Playoffs, where they fell in five games to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs.

With the Blazers, Splitter embraced speed and pace on offense, asking the team's young core to grab rebounds and sprint out into the open floor. Portland ranked ninth in the NBA in pace (101.63 possessions per 48 minutes) one season after ranking 16th (99.51). Splitter also created a fluid offensive structure that empowered players to read the defense and react with concepts and actions, as opposed to a reliance on set plays.

Under Splitter, forward Deni Avdija became a first-time All-Star after averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. The Trail Blazers also saw young players like Shaedon Sharpe (20.8 points per game), Scoot Henderson (14.2) and Toumani Camara (13.4) improve their games. Portland had eight different players average double-figures in scoring this season.

In Chicago, Splitter will try to revitalize a team that has struggled to make deep runs in the postseason in recent years. The Bulls overhauled their roster during the trading deadline, adding several guards to an already deep position on the roster.

Splitter's fit with point guard Josh Giddey — a versatile, play-making guard who can create his own shot and distribute for others — should be seamless, and his success with the Bulls will depend on elevating Giddey to an All-Star-caliber player.

The Bulls also have a developing star in forward Matas Buzelis, who averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. The most promising piece for Splitter, however, may not even be on the roster yet.

Chicago won the No. 4 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, a class that is both loaded with elite talent at the top of the class and deep. The consensus best players, Darryn Peterson of Kansas and AJ Dybantsa of BYU, are expected to be off the board at that point, but that could leave North Carolina's Caleb Wilson or Duke's Cameron Boozer available for selection.

Wilson is full of promise and has the size (6-foot-10) and athletic ability to be a premier threat in the NBA.

Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan, who stepped down as the Bulls' head coach in April after six seasons.

This story will be updated with additional information.

With 1.2 seconds left of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals, a sold-out Madison Square Garden erupted.

The score was 106-105 in favour of the San Antonio Spurs as they looked to level the best-of-seven series at 2-2, when New York Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson's three-point attempt was denied by the rim.

But before any Spurs defender could make the crucial rebound, a flying OG Anunoby did enough to rise through a crowd of players and palm the ball back into the basket for a one-point lead and put the Knicks on the brink of immortality.

Magic Johnson in 1986. Michael Jordan in 1996. Steve Nash in 1997. This means the company Anunoby can now put himself in with a game-winner that has gone viral and etched itself in history.

"Game four is probably the top of British basketball history," said London-born Anunoby, now a two-time NBA winner.

"Amazing for Britain and the UK and everyone who loves basketball in the UK."

Three nights after Anunoby's game-winner that sent MSG and its celebrity front row into shock, the Knicks wrapped up the series 4-1 in San Antonio for a first finals win since 1973.

Unlike his first NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Anunoby played a significant role. Seven years ago, he was only a spectator as injury ruled him out of the entire play-offs, with the Raptors beating the Golden State Warriors in the finals.

In another tip of the hat to British basketball and its future, Anunoby's team-mates included Jeremy Sochan. While Sochan plays for Poland, because of his upbringing and allegiance to the UK he is listed as one of four UK-based players in the NBA.

Alongside Anunoby and Sochan, Amari Williams and Tosan Evbuomwan played in an NBA season that featured a record number of players from the United Kingdom this term.

• Knicks end 53-year wait for NBA Championship
• The US sporting triumph that is overshadowing the World Cup

Anunoby more than making up the numbers

If you think of the Knicks and their current squad, point guard Brunson is likely the name that springs to mind.

Not only an NBA champion, but now an NBA Finals MVP winner and an NBA all-star in each of the past three seasons.

While Brunson is the immediate franchise player, Anunoby is very much one of those right behind him.

Anunoby featured in 84 of the Knicks' 101 matches this term, all of which he played from the start. During the play-offs, he ranked second in the Knicks squad for average minutes played as well as points, assists, blocks and steals per game.

Brunson may get the plaudits, but Anunoby is among those in the supporting cast who deserve their flowers, too.

More than three billion social media views were generated from game four, one where the Knicks had earlier trailed by 29 points before the result was ultimately decided by Anunoby's dramatic winning basket.

The series itself was the most-watched on ESPN since Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their sixth and final title 28 years ago.

The Knicks have won this title, their first in 53 years, at a canter. They won 15 of their final 16 matches of the season, 10 of the first 11 of which were by more than 10 points.

Their only loss in that run was a four-point defeat by the Spurs in game three of the finals.

What next for British basketball?

Anunoby's championship-winning season and his clutch moments throughout the year come at a timely crossroads as far as the future of British basketball is concerned.

The NBA is planning to launch an independent European league within the next 18 months. London and Manchester are in place to be hosts to a franchise each when that league is launched, currently planned for October 2027.

By the time it has launched, both cities will have hosted an NBA regular-season match in the two years leading up to what could be the biggest changes to club basketball across the United Kingdom and Europe.

"I think London, especially, is an untapped market. There's so much talent and so many people playing basketball, so I think it would be amazing to bring a team to Manchester and London and continue growing in England," said Anunoby on the prospect of a European NBA league.

"As time goes on [basketball in the UK] is going to grow more and more. I think over time more and more [young boys and girls] are going to pull up at the NBA or WNBA.

"I want them to see that someone from where they are from is doing this. There is a lot of untapped potential and hope it's going to grow. It will mean exposure, growth, more leagues, more excitement for the game."

The London Lions recently signed a multi-year deal to remain competing in EuroCup for at least the next three seasons, which could be extended to five.

Anunoby was previously a minority owner of the franchise, who are coming off the back of a domestic quadruple-winning season.

It is an exciting time for a sport that has struggled to consistently produce top-level British stars but is showing growth and enormous potential at grassroots level.

Anunoby's championship-winning run is both timely and an inspiration for the next generation of UK-based basketball hopefuls.

The 2025-26 season may have ended in disappointment as the Spurs stumbled their way through 4 fourth-quarter collapses in the NBA Finals, turning what could have been four victories and a championship into four excruciating losses in five games. However, when you look at the broader view, it helps to remember this is nowhere near what was expected of this team this season, how far ahead of schedule they are, and how much more room they have to grow.

Another thing this year’s trip to the Finals has given us is, after years of watching and waiting for two months once the season ended in April, we immediately get to turn our attention to important summer activities, such as the NBA Draft, Free Agency and Summer League with almost no time gap. Below is a list of important dates to keep in mind as the Spurs build on a highly successful season and prepare for the future.

NBA Draft

June 23, 2026 — First round

• Spurs pick 20th (via Atlanta Hawks)

June 24, 2026 — Second round

• Spurs pick 35th (via the Utah Jazz)
• Spurs pick 42th (via the Portland Trail Blazers)
• Spurs pick 44th (via the Miami Heat)

As of today, the Spurs have four total picks, including 20th overall in the first round thanks to owning the right to swap picks with the Atlanta Hawks, who will in turn pick in the Spurs’ slot of 29th (the Dejounte Murray trade keeps on giving). They also have three second round picks via other teams, while their own is going to Minnesota. (After getting a little spoiled by the lottery in recent years, waiting for 20th is going to seem like a long time.)

Free Agency

June 14, 2026 — Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents.

This was actually yesterday since it aligns with the first day after the end of the Finals, but with that being said, the Spurs have very few free agents of note. The most notable is Harrison Barnes, who began the season as a starter but fell out of the rotation as the season wore on and played sparingly in the playoffs. The Spurs’ other free agents include Kelly Olynyk, Jordan McLaughlin, Lindy Waters III, Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee, as well as their three two-way players: Harrison Ingram, David Jones Garcia and Emmanuel Miller.

June 29, 2026 — Last day for early terminations and qualifying offers for restricted free agents.

The latter part of this day hardly matters to the Spurs since their 2022 draft class is gone, but the former could matter if they choose to decline Julian Champagnie’s team option and sign him to an extension. If that is the case, they would need to do so by this time.

June 30, 2026 — Last day for veteran extensions, negotiation period begins (5:00 PM CT).

Should the Spurs take the previously mentioned route with Champagnie, this would be the last chance for him to sign an extension, otherwise he would become a free agent. Also beginning at 5:00 PM CT, teams can begin negotiating with other team’s free agents.

July 1, 2026 — True beginning of Free Agency (list is courtesy of Hoops Rumors).

• Official start of the 2026/27 NBA league year.
• Moratorium period begins.
• Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
• Teams can begin signing players to one- or two-year minimum-salary contracts.
• Teams can begin signing players to two-way contracts.
• Teams can begin signing first-round picks to rookie scale contracts.
• Teams can begin signing second-round picks using the second-round pick exception.
• Teams can begin exercising the third- or fourth-year team options for 2027-28 on rookie scale contracts.

A few notes here. One is as a reminder, the Moratorium Period is five days in which contracts can be negotiated but not signed. The other notable occurrence for the Spurs will be the bottom one, in which they can — and for all intents and purposes will — exercised the fourth-year option on Stephon Castle’s rookie contract and third-year options for Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. (They technically have until October 31 to get this done, but it’s hard to imagine it would take that long, especially for Castle and Harper.)

July 6, 2026 — Moratorium period ends; trades, contracts and extensions can be officially signed.

Now pen can officially be put to paper for trades, contracts and extensions. The Spurs will be able to sign any new free agents, but most notably, Victor Wembanyama will become eligible to sign his rookie-scale extension. Assuming he takes the max, it will be largest rookie contract extension in NBA history and make him one of the league’s highest paid players beginning in the 2027-28 season. The base salary for his maximum extension is $251 million (or 25% of the salary cap) across five years, but it can turn into the super-max worth up to $301 million (30% of the salary cap) if he earns All-NBA honors or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in the 2026-27 season. Barring him missing the 65-game limit, expect the super-max to be the case by the time it kicks in.

These are the main key dates that will be notable for the Spurs, but others within FA include:

• July 13 —Last day to withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
• July 31 — Players signed using the second-round pick exception begin to count against a team’s cap.
• August 5 — Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks..
• August 29 — Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2026-27 salaries.

Summer League

July 3-6 — California Classic

Amidst all the chaos of free agency will be Summer League, so you don’t even have to wait a month to watch basketball again! First, the Spurs will participate in the California Classic in San Francisco, along the Warriors, Lakers and Heat. This is usually a good place to at least see the Spurs second round picks for the first time.

July 9-19 — Las Vegas Summer League

This of course is the more notable of the Summer Leagues and where you stand a better chance of seeing the Spurs’ first round pick, as well as possibly some returning faces. While I wouldn’t expect Harper to be in SL this year (he doesn’t need it), it’s quite possible Bryant gets a run as team captain so he can develop more and show the Spurs how far he has come. This could also be a chance for players like Ingram to vie for another two-way spot with the Spurs or possibly even a guaranteed contract. Unfortunately, one face we may not see is Jones Garcia, who underwent ankle surgery in February and is not expected to be ready for SL.

It’s crazy how much quicker the offseason is when you play two extra months of ball (because math), but the lack of a long gap between April and now is certainly nice. It’s hard to believe that training camp is just a bit over three months away, and while the Spurs have some work to do this summer, expect them to return pretty much the same core team.

We will have plenty of content on potential draft and free agency prospects for the Spurs in the coming days and weeks, as well as Summer League coverage, so be sure to stick around at Pounding the Rock all summer. While this season may not have ended ideally, it was certain the best one I have covered since starting here in 2016-17, and the future couldn’t be brighter. Thank you all for your continued support!