Reaves Contract Showdown
Austin Reaves Seeks Massive $241 Million Deal, Forcing Lakers Into Roster Balancing Act
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Key Points
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Reaves’ 2025-26 production wasn’t just counting stats: he shot 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range while averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
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Sources tied to the Lakers’ internal evaluation also highlighted that Reaves’ momentum was disrupted by injury after posting elite on/off style impact with Doncic—described as a plus-19.3 net rating across 273 minutes without LeBron on the floor.
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The Lakers’ regular-season context was strong (53–29, Pacific Division title), but the offseason is still framed as a roster recalibration challenge following playoff expectations.
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There was additional reported uncertainty about whether a team-friendly “hometown” discount is realistic because Reaves’ representatives are expected to pursue the strongest possible financial outcome, not necessarily a lower price to help the Lakers’ cap situation.
Austin Reaves is set to decline his $14.8 million player option and chase a five-year, $241 million maximum extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Spectrum SportsNet. The decision makes him one of the highest-paid guards in NBA history — if the Lakers are willing to pay full price.
NBA analyst Brad Turner put it plainly: "Austin wants the max." Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 2025-26. He shot 49.0% from the field. The Lakers finished 53-29 and won the Pacific Division. Now comes the hard part.
Reaves Bet on Himself — and Won Big
This story starts in July 2025. The Lakers offered Reaves a four-year, $89.2 million extension. He turned it down. He chose to play out his contract and prove his worth instead. That decision looks brilliant now. One season later, he scored a career-high 51 points against Sacramento and locked in All-Star-level production, according to AS USA.
Reaves entered the league as an undrafted player in 2021. His jump from a two-way roster spot to a $241 million price tag is almost unheard of in modern NBA history. "I want to be in L.A. I love it," Reaves said, per AS USA. But love and money are two different conversations.
The 'Hometown Discount' Is Likely a Fantasy
Some Lakers fans hope Reaves will take less to help the team stay under the luxury tax. Turner threw cold water on that idea. "Is he willing to give the Lakers a hometown deal? I'm not so sure about that," he said, per NBC Sports. "His reps' job is to get the maximum they can."
Reaves' agents at AMR Agency already watched him walk away from $89 million once. Taking a discount now would contradict everything that move stood for. Yahoo Sports reported that rival teams — including the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets — can offer a four-year, $178 million deal. That gives Reaves real leverage.
Paying Reaves Could Handcuff the Entire Roster
The Lakers' cap situation is already tight. Luka Doncic is locked in on a supermax deal. LeBron James is approaching free agency. If the Lakers pay Reaves $241 million over five years, they will almost certainly hit the NBA's "second apron" — a hard spending ceiling that blocks trades and limits roster moves, according to Lake Show Life.
Larry Brown Sports reported that forward Rui Hachimura could be the first casualty. If Reaves gets the max, the Lakers may not have room to re-sign Hachimura. The Doncic-Reaves pairing does produce elite numbers — a +19.3 net rating in 273 minutes without LeBron on the floor. But building depth around two max players is a serious challenge.
Robert Horry Says Trade Him. The Front Office Disagrees.
Former Lakers champion Robert Horry has a different take entirely. He argued the Lakers should move Reaves instead of paying him. "If the Lakers were smart, they would do a sign-and-trade," Horry said, per Larry Brown Sports. He believes the Doncic-Reaves backcourt has too much offensive overlap and too many defensive holes to win a title.
The Lakers' front office sees it differently. GM Rob Pelinka reportedly views Reaves as a higher priority than even LeBron James going forward, given age and market value, according to NBC Sports. Financial analyst Bobby Marks warned that a near-$48 million annual salary for a player who has not yet made an All-Star team carries real risk — especially under new CBA rules that make bloated contracts nearly impossible to move.
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