After declining his player option for the 2026-2027 season to become a free agent, there seemed to be a legitimate possibility that Austin Reaves could be with a new team other than the Los Angeles Lakers next season. But the team that took a chance on him back in 2021 as an undrafted rookie ended up giving him a deal he could not pass up.Reaves signed a four-year 185 million contract extension with Los Angeles.Fantasy Impact Of SigningMar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) warms up prior to the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesWith Reaves staying in Los Angeles their could be noticeable positive fantasy impact for him. Going into the 2026-2027 season their is a chance their roster looks much different. One of the big plyers for them that could be on the move to open up a raised ceiling in fantasy basketball for Reaves is 22-time All-Star LeBron James. With all the news on social media timelines on the days leading up to the draft, Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talk, as well as Ja Morant trade talk, the chatter on what is next for James in his career has been almost mute. Will he retire? Stay in LA? Who Knows? If he chooses to remain in the league, his career is undoubtedly on its last legs, which should bring in the real possibility of him wanting to suit up somewhere else to end his NBA career. If that move does come to fruition, Reaves then has top-five SG potential in fantasy basketball. Last season, James averaged 20.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 7.2 APG. Reaves averaged 23.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 5.5 APG. In 16 games without James available last season, Reaves averaged 28.4. PPG, 4.8RPG, and 7.8 APG. Fantasy Fit If Reaves Went ElsewhereMar 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) shoots a free throw against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesOne of the interested teams of Reaves before he eventually signed with the Lakers was the Brooklyn Nets. It was reported that the Nets front office was at least at one point willing to offer Reaves a max-level contract. That obviously did not go to fruition as Brooklyn addressed their uncertainty at the guard position in the 2026 NBA Draft. With the #6 overall pick, they took combo guard out of the Univeristy of Louisville, Mikel Brown Jr. Assuming Brooklyn would not have selected a guard at #6 if they got Reaves, his fantasy outlook in Brooklyn for next season would actually be lower than it would be with Los Angeles if they do not have James next season. Despite the Nets not being good, they have two high usage players on offense. Those two players are Michael Porter Jr. and a player they recently got in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Julius Randle.Randle last season averaged 21.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 5.0 APG. Porter Jr. had a career year in his first year with Brooklyn, averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 3.0 APG. He is a name to watch in the fantasy basketball landscape, as he has been a name mentioned in trade talks since the deadline in the middle of the 2025-2026 season. Reaves, even with the two on the roster, would have had the chance to serve as their number one scoring option. Even if he did play that role, his opportunities in playing the Robin role next to Luka Doncic would give him a higher ceiling in fantasy.More NBA Fantasy News On SIAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow