The Lakers offered Austin Reaves a four-year, $89MM contract extension this week, but he declined in the hope of landing a bigger payday next summer, league sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic.
As Woike details, $89MM over four years is the maximum the Lakers were allowed to offer Reaves, who is entering the third season of a four-year, $54MM contract. The 27-year-old is expected to turn down his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 in order to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
While it would be easy to view Reaves’ decision as sign of disconnect between the two sides, that isn’t the case, according to Woike, who points out that the outcome was anticipated given the restrictions on what Los Angeles was permitted to offer. The Lakers have never seriously entertained the idea of trading Reaves and continue to place a high value on his contributions, Woike writes.
Reaves has vastly outplayed his current deal. In his fourth NBA season in 2024/25, the Arkansas native averaged career highs in points (20.2) assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and steals (1.1) per game in 73 appearances (34.9 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .460/.377/.877. He should easily command a new contract in 2026 that far surpasses the offer he recently declined.
Reaves will have Bird rights if he opts out in ’26, giving the Lakers the ability to offer him anything up to his maximum salary. However, he will be an unrestricted free agent if he takes that route, which could give the Lakers a little bit of pause, since it might open the door to a rival suitor swooping in with an enormous offer.
Still, as Woike observes, any team that is interested in trading for Reaves would be in the exact same position as the Lakers are now. And there have been no indications that either side is unhappy with the relationship — quite the opposite. Both Reaves and the Lakers are interested in working on a new deal next summer, Woike tweets.
“I want to be in L.A. I want to play my whole career in L.A. I love it there. I love the fans. Love the weather, love the golf,” Reaves told K8 News earlier this month. “And obviously the Lakers are the best organization in basketball.”
Los Angeles continues to be “aggressive” in its search for center help, but obviously nothing has materialized yet, Woike adds.
Can’t blame him wanted to be paid what he wants. Next year is a player option so he has security by turning down their new offer.
Please remember your first sentence when it’s a Black guy that wants to be paid what he deserves.
Its not about race. Reeves extension last time was under paid so now he is getting paid.
I completely agree with that 1st sentence. It would be nice to see Black guys get that same benefit of the doubt. Basically just pointing out the obv hypocrisy.
Dumb take. He has a player option. He’s betting on himself. Race isn’t a factor.
Sankara,
I don’t recall Arc EVER making any post on this site/app about color of skin. He’s been strictly about the game and nothing more, nothing else.
Find me a time recently on this site where anyone complained about a black player maximizing their earnings. Your chasing clouds with this one, since I cant find a double standard in any of the comments Ive seen on this site.
In a fair situation where you get what you actually deserve rather than this reduced value Steph Curry should own 25% of the GSW. Like there is no way the team is the most valuable team in North American sports if not for Steph. You want to find the bias its all these white dudes cashing in on teams that have a large player base that is mostly players of color.
Turns around and leaves this comment board 😂
It’s funny you make this comment the same week that the NFL has that major story on contracts and collusion where the public response seems to be that Lamar Jackson got screwed over and deserves better.
In the column about the HEAT drafting Jakucionis …… @Sankara compared Jakucionis to one Mark Price, which I completely agreed with – I also posted that I had a feeling that only few here know who Mark Price is and how good he was.
Sankara then went on a small rant about many here also not knowing how good “Ja Morant or Chris Paul or James Harden” are.
Sheesh.
He was never going to extend off this number. This is always the downside of really under market extensions. Its the same thing with JJJ where the maximum offer without room is just so far below his market value he would never do it.
He may regret not taking the money. Ask Boogie!
Cousins wasn’t going to have as many offers as people think. Even when healthy he was considered a black hole offense and a cancer in the locker room.
I still refuse to believe any team was going to give him the max. Maybe the Mavs because they are always desperate in landing big time free agents.
Dennis Schröder is the better example you want to use here.
The worst I remember was Nerlens Noel turning down 4 yr 76 million from Dallas. After that Cuban gave him a QO for 4 mill that he had to accept and end up making 20 mill for the rest of his career. He fired his agent immediately I recall.
In the case of Reeves is a good call, to play 4 more yrs at 22 m each would be underpaid, there are far worst players already making 30 mil a year and not to mention some max guys like Beal or PG13 with lomg contracts over 50 mil
So you remember Noel turning down 4/76, but cant remember Schröder turning down 4/84?
I do but at least Schroeder made much more money later and he is still playing. Noel’s refusal was stupid at its time, it was a matter of an agent clearly overvaluing his client. Of course Schroeder’s mistake was in the same line but I think in his case had a little more arguments or projection, Noel’s was plain stupid
I do agree that Noel was stupid, but I also think Schröder was too haha
It’ll be interesting to see what Lakers can offer. With Luka and LeBron combined at > $100M, paying Reaves his market value (say, $40M/yr), would preclude filling positions of greater need than off-guard. The overlap LeBron and Luka and Reaves is too great
Trading Reaves now for a young center and strong wing defender still seems like the best way to optimize LeBron’s remaining years. Waiting until February, when OKC is 12 games ahead, will be too late.
More like 25-30 for Reaves!
LookAtMe, $30M is what I’d pay him, but Unrestricted Free Agency brings the highest bidders to the table, and the price goes up $5M-$10M
OG Anunoby got $43M/5yr last year. Oft-injured, 35 yr old Paul George got $53M/4yr. Etc, etc.
Reaves’ may give the Lakers a bit of a break, but it won’t be for less than $35M. If he has a good year this year, it’ll be higher.
If this is the last year LBJ plays then suddenly the Lakers can offer him anything.
Get your money young white king!
He’s not a king he’s a laker…wrong sport
Draymond for Reaves who says no
you couldn’t trade Green for former bull, Kenny Reeves.
He basically was DPOY last year…are you running another new “Draymond is a bad player” narrative here? *yawns*
Draymond and Lebron are best friends. You don’t think Lebron wants this? Draymond plays D, Luka and Bron do not, they need Dray more than Reaves and the money mostly matches.
DaveyJ
Yeah, LeBron would do it because it improves the Lakers while LeBron is on the team.
But the Lakers wouldn’t do it because Reaves has a long career ahead of him.
Draymond is DPOY in Warriors head only. Fact remains DPOY is Mobley. Also, Lakers has new ownership, they likely wont be catering to LeBron any longer and will make moves based of Doncic timelime. Lastly, Reaves wont be traded for Draymond unless it is an overpay from the Dubs.
The Lakers say no to Draymond for Reaves. Good grief.
The NBA will veto that trade
It’s strange that the CBA rule capping an extension offer (at a % of his existing salary) is one of the very few CBA rules that encourage free agency to have survived the post 2019 purge of such rules. This rule was, I believe, it was modified to increase the %, but the effect of that modification was only to limit its reach so that it now only restricts players who are underpaid under their existing contracts. I can’t think of any reason for that group of players to being singled out. The restrictions apply only to new contract years (its just agreed upon early) so there are no Bird Rights or years of service issues. Just don’t get too good, too fast, or we’ll make wait.
Correction, Lakers used to be the best organization in basketball.
$10 billion says they still are lol
OK so he or LBJ have to go, possibly both. The new owner needs to take control and build around luka. Reaves stock may never be so high. Sell.
With James AND Doncic now on the team, where is he going to get attempts? I see a Luca injury in practice sometime in late ‘25.
I watch pretty much every laker game and I can tell you this, AR15 is a 30 per year player, but maybe only to the lakers… since they’re the only team able to sign him. No one has cap space!!! Sucks to be a FA.