Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves made some headlines this offseason when it was reported that he was declining a four-year extension offer by the franchise. However, that move was entirely expected, as Reaves’ four-year max is nowhere near what he could make if he declines his player option next summer and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Lakers could only offer Reaves an annual average salary of around $23 million in this extension offer because of the rules limiting how much of a raise a player can get on the final year of a contract in the first year of a new extension. If he waits until next summer, he could sign for a full 25% max deal, if he can get it.
So while headlines saying that Reaves declined an extension offer from the Lakers got some fans worried about his future in L.A., it is reportedly believed that the future of both him and the franchise are interlocked, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN:
The expectation, from both that executive and others, is that Reaves ultimately will return to Los Angeles, which would cement Reaves’ role as the long-term running mate next to Doncic in L.A.’s backcourt — the role once held by Brunson then Irving in Dallas.
Luka Doncic and Reaves have appeared to enjoy playing alongside one another, and the numbers in the regular season support that. Doncic and Reaves played 668 minutes together in the regular season after the former was traded to L.A. — the second-most of any two-man combo on the Lakers — and had a 6.5 net rating.
They were able to score in bunches and not hemorrhage points on the defensive end, despite the fact that neither are considered plus defenders in the NBA. But if the Lakers vision is to create their version of Kyrie Irving or Jalen Brunson alongside Doncic, Reaves makes plenty of sense as the player to do that with.
Luka is now under contract with L.A. until at least the 2027-28 season, meaning if Reaves does sign next summer on a long-term deal, they’ll have a strong 1-2 punch out of the backcourt locked in and ready to go.
Rob Pelinka built Lakers roster to maintain optionality
Now that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office have officially signed superstar Luka Doncic to a contract extension, the question now is what moves they will make to build a legit title contender around him.
The front office has made some moves this offseason, signing Deandre Ayton in free agency to give Doncic a rim-running center to pair with on the pick-and-roll, as well as bringing in defensive-minded players in veteran guard Marcus Smart and wing Jake LaRavia. However, many don’t view the Lakers as being amongst the elite teams of the NBA just yet.
Pelinka was asked about continuing to build this team and the Lakers general manager made it clear that they are always in win-now mode, but also wants to make smart moves and feels this franchise is in position to do so if an opportunity presents itself.
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