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Austin Reaves could command $40 million per year if he leaves the Lakers in free agency
The Los Angeles Lakers were officially eliminated from the 2026 NBA Playoffs on Monday night after they suffered a 115-110 loss in Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, all eyes will turn to what appears to be a pivotal offseason, and one of the biggest questions revolves around Austin Reaves‘ future with the team.
Reaves further solidified himself as a star during the 2025-26 campaign, and he appears set to earn a massive pay raise this offseason. While many folks expect that he will eventually find common ground with the Lakers on a new contract, if he were to hit the open market and depart for a new team, it sounds like he could earn a massive deal.
Austin Reaves could command up to $40 million per year in free agency, per @TheAthletic
“While team and league sources believe that the Lakers and Reaves will eventually land on a contract that makes sense, the door for Reaves to walk is open should he get a big offer
While LeBron James’ future is going to draw the most attention from fans this offseason, you can make a case that Reaves’ free agency decision is more important. Reaves further established himself as a key piece of Los Angeles’ future this season, as he averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field.
Reaves is eligible to sign a five-year extension with the Lakers worth up to $241 million, but it remains to be seen if the team is willing to commit that sort of money to him. Chances are, the two sides will find a way to meet in the middle, but until that happens, the possibility of Reaves’ departure will hover over this team.
The overarching assumption is that Reaves will find a way to stick in Los Angeles this offseason. But what if that doesn’t happen and he hits the open market? According to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, in that scenario, Reaves would immediately become one of the top free agents available, which could lead to him commanding a deal worth around $40 million per year.
“While team and league sources believe that the Lakers and Reaves will eventually land on a contract that makes sense, the door for Reaves to walk is open should he get a big offer elsewhere,” Woike and Amick wrote. “Rival executives predicted Reaves could command $40 million a season due to a combination of his play, his age and, perhaps most importantly, a free-agent class completely devoid of players as productive as him in their prime.”
GettyLakers guard Austin Reaves is set to hit NBA free agency.
The Lakers appear to want to team up Reaves with Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future, but making that actually happen is going to be easier said than done. Reaves has earned the massive contract he is going to receive this offseason, but just how much Los Angeles is actually willing to pay him is unknown.
Doncic reportedly wants Reaves to remain in town, even if it comes at the cost of acquiring a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. There are a lot of different ways this could go, and while Reaves would get paid if he hits the open market, it seems likely that L.A. will find a way to keep him in town this offseason.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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