'I Want To Be In LA'; Austin Reaves Opens Up On His Future in the NBA

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a very good position early in the 2025–26 season, and with the duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way, they have built an impressive 8–3 record through their first 11 games. Their focus is on the present, but for the front office, they must be looking forward to this coming summer, as they have some big-time decisions to make, especially on Reaves and LeBron James.

Perhaps the tougher of the two will surround Reaves, who has emerged as a genuine No. 2 option this season, as he has averaged 30 points, five rebounds, and nine assists per game through eight appearances. With this performance, Reaves is set to get paid in free agency, with many believing he'll demand $30 million or more a season on a new deal, but in a recent interview, he reaffirmed that he wants to remain in Los Angeles.

“I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it. Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”

While Reaves states he's not looking for a ridiculous number on an extension, he's not going to stay in Los Angeles for free, but given the production early this season, it appears as though he could be worth that type of money.

Only time will tell how things play out once James returns, but given the chemistry that we've seen between Reaves and Doncic early in 2025–26, as of right now, it would be silly for the Lakers to let Reaves walk in free agency.