Is Austin Reaves On His Way Out Of LA? $241 Million Might Be The Deciding Factor
Apr 2, 2026
Remember when Austin Reaves was figuring heavily in trade rumors? For a number of reasons (Luka Dončić’s arrival, questions about Reaves’ reliability as a primary scorer), the Lakers guard has been projected as a trade asset for quite some time.
The thing is, Reaves keeps getting better and better. The numbers show that this is not a stretch: Across five seasons, Reaves has steadily improved in terms of points, field goal attempts, and rebounds per game. Though the 6-foot-5 guard has missed chunks of games due to injury this season, more and more analysts are now convinced that Reaves (23.4 ppg on 48.9% FG shooting, 4.7 rpg, 5.6 apg) is a cornerstone of the Lakers’ future alongside Dončić.
But does Reaves have the Lakers in his plans for the long-term future? That is now the question, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin has reported that Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option, opting to test the waters of unrestricted free agency this summer.
There are a number of ways that this can go for Reaves and his current team.
Reportedly, the Lakers are interested in re-signing the 27-year-old. Given Reaves’ production and his emerging leadership on the court, this is exactly what the purple and gold squad is expected to do. The fact that LeBron James is closer than ever to hanging up his jersey, gives the Lakers all the motivation in the world to lay their building blocks for the foreseeable future.
How much can the Lakers offer Reaves? GM Rob Pelinka can dangle a five-year supermax contract worth $241 million to retain the services of the five-year pro.
That’s a sizable contract, but there are even bigger question marks at this point. What if the Lakers, for one reason or another, decide not to offer the supermax to Reaves? Conversely, what if Reaves decides to be the anchor of another NBA team, stepping out of Dončić’s shadow in the City of Angels?
Reaves has proven that he can be entrusted as a top scoring option. He’ll still be fighting for the Lakers’ cause over the next several weeks, but beyond that, the possibilities will open up like they’ve never opened before.
