New story: Austin Reaves’ hot start hasn’t just set the Lakers’ season up for success. It’s set him up for a major payday this summer. A look inside Reaves impact in L.A. “I want to be here. I want to win.”
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 25: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts for a LA Clippers foul during the first half at Crypto.com Arena on November 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Austin Reaves has been one of the most important factors in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ success this season, and his upcoming free agency status has been a leading story for both him and the team throughout the season.
Reaves is in the final year of a deal he signed with the Lakers a few seasons ago, and for the past few months, the expectation on both sides has been that the star will land a new max contract extension to stay in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.
However, heading into the Lakers’ second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, one that sees Reaves just returning from his injury, the team was recently warned about offering him a max deal this offseason, in what could be a ‘big’ mistake for a franchise that already has Luka Doncic as its centerpiece.
Getty Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers and head coach JJ Redick
Reports of Reaves being offered a max contract extension by the Lakers is nothing new, as it’s been floated around since the start of the season.
However, amid Reaves’ recent injury history, there have been some new questions about whether Los Angeles wants to commit a big chunk of their salary cap to a player that offers a similar skillset to that of Doncic.
Most recently, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report warned the Lakers about overpaying for Reaves this summer, as giving him the potential five-year, $241 million contract could be a ‘mistake.’
New story: Austin Reaves’ hot start hasn’t just set the Lakers’ season up for success. It’s set him up for a major payday this summer. A look inside Reaves impact in L.A. “I want to be here. I want to win.”
The writer described how the most Reaves could be offered by another team would be $179 million, but even as it relates to Los Angeles, going over that amount could be a cause for concern.
“No other team can offer more than four years and $179 million, which is exactly where Los Angeles should set its ceiling,” he wrote. “A dollar above that for a player who’s battled injuries in several seasons, ran hot for six weeks this year and projects as a somewhat duplicative second option next to Dončić would be a mistake.”
Reaves is coming off a four-year, $53 million deal, so after a career year, he’s in line for a pay raise. Still, questions about the Lakers’ heavy financial commitment to the 27-year-old have come with some recent concerns.
GettyMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MARCH 29: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on March 29, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Hughes’ new report comes shortly after he already questioned the Lakers about giving Reaves a new, max deal due to his recent injuries and long-term fit with Doncic.
Reaves just came back from an oblique strain that kept him out for nearly a month. He also missed 19 games earlier in the year with a concerning calf strain, and sat out multiple other points in the year with minor health concerns. It was his first time not playing more than 60 games, and while the Lakers still had a successful regular season campaign, it came with a few stretches playing without the shooting guard.
Additionally, Reaves’ fit next to Doncic raises some concerns. They are both strong scorers and passers, but the idea of the Lakers having their starting backcourt both on max contracts could severely hinder their future roster-building ability.
“The Lakers don’t want to offend Reaves, who played like a first-option star for chunks of the early season, but they also need to avoid spending more than necessary,” Hughes wrote previously.
Still, all signs point to the Lakers wanting to keep Reaves, even if they have to offer him a bit more than his market value, as what tends to be the case for any team attempting to retain its rising stars. Hughes just made sure to reiterate to Los Angeles that they shouldn’t offer him too much due to the recent injury and Doncic-fit concerns.
“All they really need to do to beat the market is top the best offer another team can make,” Hughes added, mentioning that other teams can only offer Reaves up to $179 million. “Even that might be a little rich for a player who feels duplicative with Dončić around. A low-ball contract could cause Reaves to consider other options.”
All signs point to Reaves landing a new, max deal from the Lakers, but until their playoff run comes to an end and the official 2026 NBA offseason begins, he’s set free agency and will likely have a lot of options on the table.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。