Austin Reaves is coming off an outstanding season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the growing consensus is that the veteran guard has all but assured himself a massive raise in the near future.
Reaves has two years remaining on the four-year, $54 million deal he signed in 2023. The second year is a player option that he is widely expected to decline.
During an appearance on Spectrum Sportsnet on Thursday, Lakers reporter Jovan Buha spoke about the type of contract Reaves can expect to sign next summer. Buha believes Reaves is going to make at least $30 million per year.
“I think he’s more of a like a $30-35-million-dollar-a-year player. If you look at some of the guys in that range, guys like Immanuel Quickley or Tyler Herro, I think Austin is easily in that class and better actually than a lot of the guys in that $30-32 million range,” Buha said. “Obviously, context and leverage are always factors here, so we’ll see what type of season he has, what type of playoff performance he has.”
Buha added that he expects the Lakers to be the team that ultimately pays Reaves.
“I’ve been talking about this since January on my podcast that, like, people around the league are penciling him in to make $30-plus million this summer, whether it’s with the Lakers or someone else. I expect it to be with the Lakers,” Buha said. “I expect him to re-sign on a multi-year deal and I think that’s the shrewd move from L.A.’s part.”
Austin Reaves is expected to make $30M+ annually on his next deal, per @jovanbuha
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 15, 2025
"I expect it to be with the Lakers…he wants to be a Laker for life"
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/FQDsl4I6Ho
Reaves turned down a four-year, $89.2 million max contract extension from the Lakers in June, which was a formality. He can be offered much more than that next summer.
Reaves, 27, has been with the Lakers since the start of his career. He had career-highs across the board last season with 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
There was talk earlier this offseason that the Lakers were considering trading Reaves in order to sell high on him and potentially balance out their ball-dominant roster with more frontcourt talent. Reaves remains with the team, however, and it now it seems like a trade is unlikely.
Reaves is a local favorite in Los Angeles and still has room to grow as a player as he enters his fifth NBA season. He is the type of piece who would fit well alongside Luka Doncic, but the Lakers are going to have to pay to keep him.
