Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen into the perfect marriage over the last five years.
The franchise saw him, took a chance, extended the opportunity, waited, watched and made the decision to offer him a permanent contract. Reaves quickly turned into a household name and one of the best undrafted players of all-time.
He went from a wobbly third (ish) option on the Lakers to being the definitive number two. And the guy behind him in the pecking order isn’t just another Joe. It’s LeBron James, the first option of first options once upon a time.
Reaves has helped create some modern day showtime with James and L.A.’s main man, Luka Doncic, especially this season, which watched the Lakers rise to the third seed and become a major player in the “contenders” category.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) react with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in Los Angeles, California.
Of course, that was until Doncic and Reaves incurred significant injuries in the same game. Suddenly, L.A. is a shell of the team it was just six days ago.
With no timeline on Reaves’ return, the Lakers faithful has quickly turned to looking ahead, but that’s only helped shine a brighter (and harsher) spotlight on Lakers’ future concerning their star guard.
Austin Reaves’ Future Gets Dissected as Los Angeles Trips Backward
Last night, L.A. was back playing that team it dreads. Even more so now because every matchup is a reminder of the night the season, for all intents and purposes, suddenly vanished.
The Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Lakers, as the kids like to call it, the “belt” in Tuesday night’s contest in Los Angeles, beating the home team by 36 points. As if that 43-point beatdown didn’t satisfy their hunger enough.
Even die-hard fans are grudgingly accepting the season is likely over. Doncic is in Europe seeking advanced treatment to heal his strained hamstring, but expecting him and Reaves to suddenly pop out of nowhere in the heat of a first round series to save the day is fantasy.
That turns us to the offseason, where the purple and gold are often a focal point. They’ll be again this summer because of Reaves’ contract situation.
The 27-year-old L.A. star will become an unrestricted free agent once he declines his nearly $15 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which he is widely expected to do.
It will allow Reaves to test the market and see what teams are willing to throw at him. According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Lakers could be at risk of losing Reaves if he receives an attractive offer elsewhere. But there is also more than adequate opportunity for Los Angeles to retain its star guard.
“Competing executives aren’t convinced the Lakers can win with a core duo of Dončić and Reaves,” Pincus wrote. “Of course, what other teams think is irrelevant to L.A., unless the front office agrees. Seeing how well the Lakers competed over the last month before the recent spate of injuries could motivate a long-term commitment. If not, L.A. would presumably turn to a sign-and-trade to get value for a developing Reaves instead of losing him for nothing.”
But that doesn’t mean Reaves is more likely to head out the door than continue his Lakers career. The franchise can effectively control its own destiny with Reaves if it acts accordingly.
“For reference, a deal starting at $35 million with max raises and length is $203 million over five years,” Pincus wrote. “That potential should illustrate clearly why Reaves won’t extend before testing that market. … Provided the Lakers and Reaves are motivated to get a deal done, they should be able to find common ground below a full max salary.”
Question: Just How Much is Reaves Worth Investing in?
It’s often said: “If you have a max-level or generational player, you maximize him.”
We’re talking not Reaves, but Doncic.
Doncic is the eye of the Lakers universe for the long-term. The front office will absolutely do whatever it takes to appease Doncic and instill confidence in him that the team will perenially contend for championships.
Given what we’ve watched unfold on the court between Doncic and Reaves, both of whom are firmly installed as the Lakers’ offensive engine, Doncic will almost certainly want Reaves by his side for the foreseeable future. The same cannot be said about any other player on the roster because, well the other star, James, is in his 40s and the rest of the guys are considered disposable income.
Not that they are “bad” players, but guys who are certainly not off the table when it comes to making trades to improve the roster.
L.A. has treated Reaves like a cornerstone of the future for years, even when James was the best player and Anthony Davis was the second-best. With James sliding in rank and Doncic having the most say over what the roster needs to look like, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers won’t give Reaves all the money he can be offered.
Lakers Get Shaky News on Austin Reaves’ Future in L.A. Amid Injury