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Austin Reaves' Agent Sends Strong Message About Lakers Future

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 1:39 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of things to figure out right now. LeBron James is putting pressure on the front office to go all-in and put together a championship-caliber roster, but they also have to think about the future.

James is basically on an expiring deal, and if they don't work out a contract extension, he might not be back anyway.

That's why they might shift their focus towards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves instead.

Reaves recently declined the team's contract extension offer, which raised questions about his future with the team.

Moreover, reports claimed that he didn't like playing next to Doncic, once again fueling rumors about a potential trade or departure.

With that in mind, his agent, Aaron Riley, had to clear the air and let everybody know that those rumors were false:

"Austin has nothing but the utmost respect for Luka and truly enjoys playing alongside him. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false. He’s excited to be on the court with Luka—both now and in the future," he said.

Austin Reaves agent on the rumours that Reaves does not enjoy playing with Luka Doncic:

"Austin has nothing but the utmost respect for Luka and truly enjoys playing alongside him. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false. He’s excited to be on the court with Luka—both… pic.twitter.com/wMxJPfIflr
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) July 3, 2025

Reaves' decision to turn down the Lakers' offer doesn't necessarily mean he's going to leave or that he doesn't like playing with Doncic. He just knows he can make way more money in the open market.

The Lakers offered him a four-year extension worth $90 million, which is far below his current market value.

Whether they will look to move him before his deal runs out remains to be seen, but it seems like it wouldn't be because of Doncic.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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