How Close Was Austin Reaves to Leaving the Lakers? Plus, a Taurean Prince Scouting Report!

On the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Austin Reaves talked about his free agency, and who exactly was courting him before he eventually resigned with L.A... Not surprisingly, it was Houston and San Antonio. Neither team ended up making an offer. The Spurs held off on any big signings, instead choosing to fill in their cap space with more temporary veterans and extensions for their own guys. Houston, meanwhile, went big with Fred Van Vleet and Dillon Brooks. But while both teams might have kicked the tires on Reaves, it seems the Lakers really did scare everyone off because they knew the Lakers weren't letting him go. And with that in mind, why bother? Surely Reaves would have loved an offer sheet in that $70 or even $80 million range, and surely the Lakers would have matched. Which was the problem. It would have been interesting to see what Reaves looked like on teams like the Rockets and Spurs, who are filled with young talent, and where Reaves would have been expected to play the role of steady presence, helping elevate the guys around him. It's a role he seems suited for, but one that's harder to play without guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis around. Meanwhile, the whole process seems to have put Reaves on a path towards being with the Lakers for a while. Which fans are certainly happy about. Next, more scouting reports! This time, new forward Taurean Prince, signed after two seasons in Minnesota. Ben Beecken, host of Locked On Wolves, joins to break down his game. Where is Prince an upgrade over the guys who were around last year? What can Lakers fans expect him to bring on both sides of the ball? Where does his game overlap with Jarred Vanderbilt, and where do the two of them differ? (Shooting and rebounding for starters.) Could Prince start? What will his role ultimately be? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Who were the potential suitors for Austin Reaves? SEGMENT 2: Scouting Taurean Prince with Ben Beecken, Locked on Wolves. SEGMENT 3: What will Prince's role be this season? Where does he fit in? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices