Austin Reaves is the most important free agent for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. While not officially a free agent yet, he will certainly decline his $14.9 million player option and seek out a massive pay raise. He can get as much as five years, $239 million from the Lakers and four years, $178 million from another team.
Lakers champion Danny Green recently spoke about Reaves’ free agency and what kind of contract he should demand, and is a big fan of the 28-year-old guard who appears poised to contend for an All-Star roster spot next season.
“I am a big Austin Reaves guy, I think he’s very special,” Green said on 710 AM ESPN L.A. “And his market, I think he’s very worthy of a max. I know it’s tough when you’re trying to build a championship team, I think a lot of guys can learn from Jalen Brunson — I know he’s made one other contract before he got his big one — and I don’t expect anyone to take a haircut, but maybe in another place he could? I know the taxes in California are a little steep, so it’s hard to take a cut in California.
“But I would love for him to stay a Laker and be with Luka, it would be fun to keep watching them grow together. But I think every superstar, right now it’s not Austin’s time to do that, he needs to go get paid, go get his contract, and maybe later on down the line take a haircut and say alright I want to build this type of group or team around me. But yeah, I would love to see him continue to grow, because each year he gets better and better and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for him next year coming up.”
Rumors state that, while Reaves hasn’t said it out loud, he and his representation are seeking a max contract this summer. But staying on the Lakers and getting a max deal seem unlikely to coexist.
L.A. ponying up $239 million over five years for Reaves seems like a difficult pill to swallow towards trying to build a real championship contender. A compromise between the two sides has always made the most sense. But if Reaves wants the max, and another team is willing to pay it, it’s possible his time with the Lakers could be coming to an end.
Lakers fans should be prepared for status quo offseason
Rumors surfaced recently that any fans hoping for a complete overhaul of the Lakers roster this summer might be in for some disappointment. Indications seem to be pointing more toward the Lakers keeping a very similar roster to the one that got swept in the second round in 2025-26.
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