The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly tried and failed in a big swing to lock down guard Austin Reaves for years to come.
Reaves has formally declined a four-year, $89.2 million max extension offer from the Lakers, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. That is the most the Lakers can offer Reaves at this moment.
Reaves’ decision is purely an economic one. He has two years remaining on a four-year, $54 million deal he signed in 2023. Next offseason, he can opt out of that contract and receive much more than the $89 million the Lakers can offer him now. Reports have indicated that he wants a great deal more than what can be offered right now as well.
The decision was not a surprise to the Lakers, and Woike writes that it is not a reflection of how the two sides feel about each other. Reaves has come up in trade rumors since the start of the offseason, but his own camp is adamant that he is going nowhere, and the Lakers do not appear eager to trade him either.
Reaves is coming off a breakout season that saw him average 20.2 points per game while shooting 37.7 percent from three-point range. He has become an integral part of the Lakers despite his status as a former undrafted free agent.
