A Western Conference executive believes Austin Reaves will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers despite potential max-level offers next summer, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.
Reaves, 27, is in the third year of a four-year, $53.8 million contract that includes a $14.9 million player option for the 2026–27 season. Based on his early-season production, league executives expect the guard to command significant attention once he becomes eligible for a new deal.
Bontemps and Windhorst reported that the “belief around the league is that $30 million per year is the absolute baseline for Reaves’ services,” with one executive noting that a five-year agreement could be a viable path to keep him in Los Angeles.
“I don’t think he’s going to quite keep up this pace because LeBron will take away touches,” the executive told ESPN. “But he is good, and the Lakers intend to keep him and he intends to stay, so my guess is it gets done.”
Through five games of the 2025–26 campaign, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points, 10 assists, and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 52.5% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. Those numbers have come with Luka Doncic and LeBron James each missing games, placing more of the offensive workload on Reaves.
The former undrafted guard has shown steady year-to-year improvement since joining the Lakers in 2021. He averaged 7.3 points as a rookie, raised that to 13.0 in his second year, produced 15.9 points in 2023–24, and became a full-time starter in 2024–25, where he averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Reaves’ performance has elevated his market value heading into what could be a pivotal offseason for the Lakers. If Los Angeles pursues a long-term deal to retain him, it could impact the team’s salary structure as it builds around Doncic.
Still, executives around the league believe both sides share a mutual interest in continuing their partnership. Reaves’ versatility as a playmaker and scorer has made him an integral part of the Lakers’ backcourt, and his relationship with the organization remains strong.
