Austin Reaves Contract Situation Could Force Lakers to Trade Him

The Los Angeles Lakers have a ton of decisions to make as the summer approaches. L.A.'s season ended abruptly by a much tougher and more physical Minnesota Timberwolves squad.

L.A.'s roster exposed many flaws, which they will look to fix by the start of the 2025-26 season. The Lakers could go many ways this season, but one of the many things they may need to address is Austin Reaves' contract situation.

The Lakers can offer Reaves a four-year, $89.2 million contract, which would be an upgrade from his current four-year, $53 million contract. L.A. would love for him to sign; however, the expectation is he will decline that and opt out of his current contract after next season.

If Reaves signs that extension, the Lakers will pay the guard up to $42.5 million a year. While Reaves has proven to be worthy of the money, the front office may have other thoughts. His playoff performance was not up to par, and that is putting it kindly.

He was a shell of himself, and with the combination of the extension and his play, the Lakers could look to move on from the 26-year-old guard this summer. Nothing is set in stone; however, the Lakers may be reluctant to pay him that type of money.

The only reason he will be eligible for this extension is the current CBA guidelines. Reaves' regular season was spectacular, as he recorded career-highs across the board. He averaged  20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three in 34.9 minutes of action.

The playoffs were a whole different story, as his numbers dropped tremendously. He averaged 16.2 points per game, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three in five games and 39.2 minutes.

At the end of the day, it's all about what the president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, wants to do. Reaves is far from untouchable, so if a deal strikes that the Lakers cannot say 'no' to and it involves Reaves, Pelinka would have no choice but to pull the trigger.

If former Lakers star big man Anthony Davis is not untouchable, then Reaves falls into that same category—for the right price, of course.

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