Austin Reaves is currently playing in the biggest season of his young career.
Reaves, like many other Lakers, is on an expiring contract. In the summer, he turned down the maximum extension the Lakers offered
him, setting up this to be a make-or-break season for the guard.
Reaves declining the deal made perfect sense. The Lakers, under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, could only offer him $89.2 million over the next four seasons. With Reaves reportedly seeking $30 million a year, it made sense to reject the offer and bet on himself.
So far, that bet has paid off. Reaves has been on a tear, averaging 30.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and nine assists per game.
If Austin continues to play around this level and has a strong showing in the postseason, you can rest assured he will be set up for a massive payday this summer.
While Reaves leaving is a possibility, he spoke in an exclusive with Dave McMenamin of ESPN about his desire to be a Laker and that his next deal isn’t just about getting as much money as possible.
“I try not to think about it. Honestly. I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Reaves told ESPN. “Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”
Next summer, rival teams could potentially offer Reaves a 4-year $178 million contract, while the Lakers can present a five-year $240.7 million deal.
So, LA will have the advantage on the money side. Once you add in his fit with the Lakers and his love for playing in Southern California, it seems hard to imagine they won’t come to an agreement.
With Reaves already stating that max money isn’t the end-all, that only helps the Lakers in this matter. They already have the inside track, being the only NBA team Reaves has ever worked for.
Retaining Reaves will likely be the top priority for Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka. Luckily, he has a ton of experience signing his guys to extensions. Pelinka was able to lock up Luka Dončić this summer and has signed LeBron James to extensions throughout his Lakers career.
When the time comes, the Lakers will undoubtedly make a Reaves a fair deal, and it’ll be up to him to take it. So far, all signs indicate that this is just the beginning of what will be a long career for Reaves in a Lakers uniform.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
