The Los Angeles Lakers landing Austin Reaves as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2021–22 season turned out to be one of the great steals in recent memory. But Reaves ending up in Los Angeles took some draft-night strategizing, which he revealed while appearing on the All the Smoke Podcast.
According to Reaves, the Detroit Pistons were willing to select him with the No. 42 overall selection in the 2021 draft. However, Reaves asked them not to select him because the Pistons planned on signing him to a two-way contract, rather than guaranteeing him a roster spot.
“We knew there was high interest for a two-way [contract], so we didn’t really have to press,” Reaves said. “That’s what everything in the draft would have been, from No. 42 and on.”
