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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves does not want to cause controversy while overseas with Team USA. As he and his team participate in the FIBA World Cup, Reaves was recently asked whether he plans to try to recruit some of his talented costars to the Lakers.
“I can’t speak on that,” said Reaves, per Jovan Buha of the Athletic. “But I like some of the guys we’re playing with. So … yeah.”
It wouldn't be the first time an NBA player has used the national team setting to try to lay the foundation for plans back in the States.
Of course, it was with Team USA at the 2008 Olympics when the seeds were first planted for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to form the Big 3 with the Miami Heat. That plan came to fruition two years later in 2010.
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If Austin Reaves is doing some under-the-radar recruiting for the Lakers, he certainly has some talented teammates to talk to. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards recently put on a virtuoso 34-point performance in the USA's comeback win over Germany.
However, in all likelihood, Reaves is strictly focused on the task at hand. The Lakers, after all, have already made some pretty big additions to their Western Conference finals team of a year ago.
Los Angeles essentially swapped out guard Dennis Schroder for Miami's Gabe Vincent, before adding some more solid pieces in Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and others.
It remains to be seen if that will be enough to get Reaves, LeBron James, and Los Angeles on the level of the Denver Nuggets. However, it's highly unlikely will see any of Reaves' Team USA counterparts in the purple and gold anytime soon.
