The Los Angeles Lakers have already locked up one foundational piece in Luka Doncic, and now a second one may be up on deck.
Lakers swingman Austin Reaves is expected to ultimately return to the team on a new deal, ESPN reported on Wednesday. The report cited multiple unnamed NBA executives who believe that Reaves will be signing a long-term extension with the Lakers, including one executive who predicts that Reaves’ next contract will be worth above $30 million per year.
Reaves, a homegrown Laker at 27 years old, is currently entering a contract year next season at $13.9 million. While Reaves also holds a $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, he is universally expected to turn down that option in order to test unrestricted free agency next summer.
The Lakers have an interesting situation on their hands with Reaves. The ex-undrafted player is a superb scorer and creator who averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists per game last season and looks like an ideal long-term sidekick to Doncic. But Reaves is also prone to cold spells, patchy defense, and a decline in performance during the playoffs. NBA teams also need to be wary of overpaying second- and third-tier stars under the highly-restrictive new CBA.
There were strong whispers earlier this offseason that the Lakers were considering trading Reaves in order to potentially a) cash out on him before he gets too expensive and b) balance out their ball-dominant roster with more talent in the frontcourt. But Reaves has survived the rumor mill up to this point of the offseason, and now it seems like a trade is becoming increasingly 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. But it will not be too affordable for the Lakers to keep Reaves around beyond this season, especially in light of his reported salary demands.
