Lakers and Austin Reaves are both motivated to find a long-term deal

USA Today

5 hours ago

One of the issues the Los Angeles Lakers have to resolve in the immediate future is the contract status of rising guard Austin Reaves. He has a player option for the 2026-27 season that he can turn down in order to become a free agent next summer, and according to a recent report, he is expected to seek a new contract that would pay him around $30 million a year.
On Thursday, it was reported that he turned down a maximum contract offer from the Lakers that would've given him $89.2 million over four seasons. But according to ESPN, both sides do want to work something out in terms of a long-term deal.
"In the summer of 2026, Reaves is eligible to sign a four-year, $98 million extension, or he can opt out of the final year of his contract, become an unrestricted free agent and be eligible for 25% of the salary cap for 2026-27. The Lakers made the offer, sources said, understanding that Reaves would turn it down, but the franchise wanted to show its interest in him nonetheless and would not have wanted to send the wrong signal by not offering it. Both sides, sources said, are motivated to find a deal next summer."
Reaves has increased his production in each of the last three seasons. This season, he averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists a game and put up even bigger numbers following the arrival of Luka Doncic.
He's now considered by many to be an All-Star level player, which has, in the minds of plenty of people, given the Lakers a "Big Three" of Reaves, Doncic and LeBron James.