Reaves has earned his payday.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is heading into the biggest offseason of his career.
The 28-year-old is expected to decline his $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season and become an unrestricted free agent, a move that has been treated as a given around the league for months now.
After going undrafted in 2021 and signing with the Lakers on a two-way deal, Reaves has turned himself into one of the better guards in basketball and he wants to be paid like it.
The question now is whether the Lakers are willing to step up, because if they don't, other teams will.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists this season while shooting 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from three, all career highs despite injuries that limited him to just 51 games.
He and Luka Doncic formed one of the league's most dangerous backcourt pairings and helped the Lakers finish 53-29, earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference before falling to Oklahoma City in the second round.
The Price Of Keeping Him
Re-signing Reaves is the Lakers' top offseason priority, but how much they are willing to spend could decide everything.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto summed up the situation pretty clearly.
"Ultimately, there's a strong belief within league circles that if the Lakers offer Reaves close to or the full max, he'll stay in Los Angeles," Scotto wrote. "However, if the Lakers submit a low-ball offer, Reaves will consider other offers, and the possibility of a sign-and-trade could also emerge."
Because the Lakers hold Reaves' Bird rights, they can offer a five-year deal worth roughly $239 million, which is far more than any outside team can put on the table.
But reports suggest the front office had hoped to get a deal done closer to $200 million, and that gap could become a problem.
Teams Waiting
If the Lakers try to lowball Reaves, there are teams ready to pounce.
The Brooklyn Nets finished 20-62, but they have the cap space to offer a four-year max deal worth $178.5 million and are looking for a proven scorer to build around.
The Detroit Pistons went 60-22 as the top seed in the East and adding Reaves next to Cade Cunningham would give them a dangerous second scoring option.
The Atlanta Hawks (46-36) have also shown interest and could create room to make a competitive push.
What It Comes Down To
Reaves has said he wants to stay in Los Angeles, and the chemistry he has built with Doncic and LeBron James, who put up 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds this season at age 41, makes him a natural fit.
But this is his one shot at generational money after betting on himself his whole career, and he is not going to hand out a discount just because he likes the city.
If the Lakers pay him close to the max, they will almost certainly keep him, but if they get cheap, someone else will be happy to pay what he is worth.
