Austin Reaves Predicted to Decline Massive Contract Offer From Lakers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 4:20 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers inked Austin Reaves to one of the better deals in the NBA just a couple of seasons back, but a payday is nearing on the horizon for the young offensive star.

Reaves became a full-time starter for the first time in his four-year NBA career in 2024-25, starting all 53 games in which he's played. He's also averaging a career-high 34.3 minutes per contest.

Across that court time, Reaves is putting up 19.1 points and 6.0 assists -- both of which are career highs -- along with 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per night. Los Angeles is playing excellent defense at the present time, but a lack of size inside and a strategy of letting teams attempt more open 3-pointers than most top defenses allow could create defensive issues for the Lakers as they move into the latter stages of the season and the playoffs.

That potential eventuality defensively makes Reaves' offensive prowess all the more valuable as the team's third option behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James, as L.A. may need to outscore teams to win as the stakes increase.

From a long-term perspective, Reaves' improvement and importance to what the Lakers have built/are building begs the question of his future with the franchise. He technically has two years remaining on his contract following this season, which includes a player option in 2026-27 for just $14.9 million.

Reaves is eligible to sign an extension with the Lakers on July 6 of this year. However, Jovan Buha of The Athletic predicted on Monday, March 3, that Reaves will decline that offer, opt out in the summer of 2026 and test the free agent market.

"The Lakers will make their contract extension offer to Austin ... and they will offer him -- it's about four years $88-$90 million, somewhere in that range," Buha said. "That is below Austin's market value. The way he's played the last two months, he's clearly a high-20s, if not like $30-plus million a year player."

Despite Reaves' actual value, NBA collective bargaining rules dictate that the $90 million offer is the most the Lakers can put up this summer.

"I would expect Austin to decline that and to not sign that extension," Buha continued. "I think in that 2026 summer he will opt out, he will test free agency and then he will try to re-sign with the Lakers and remain a Laker long-term. But it's going to come down to what kind of contract they offer him."

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

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