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Lakers Get Warning on Austin Reaves' Projected $240 Million Contract

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated May 11, 2025 12:49 PM ET

The Lakers' 2024-25 season obviously ended in disappointment, with the Timberwolves able to drub the Lakers in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Particularly disappointing in that series was guard Austin Reaves, the undrafted fourth-year ballhandler who has developed into a star-quality player, averaging 20.2 points this season. But he flopped in the postseason, averaging 16.2 points on just 41.1% shooting against the Wolves, with 31.9% shooting from the 3-point line.

Reaves' poor showing, plus the Lakers' need for help up front, has led to speculation about his future in L.A. Also factoring in for Reaves: The need for a new contract, and the Lakers' limitations in offering him one.

Reaves would make an ideal trade chip in a move for a big-time addition to the frontcourt, but that's unlikely to happen this summer. The Lakers can offer Reaves an extension in August, but under NBA rules, they are limited to a four-year, $83 million offer. That would be well below Reaves' value.

If Reaves passes on that deal, he will hit unrestricted free agency next summer. At that point, he could sign a max deal with the Lakers worth five years and about $246 million.

One Western Conference executive said that he does not expect the Lakers to make any significant contract moves with Reaves this offseason, as he will turn down the extension, and the Lakers won't want to lose him to a trade. Reaves signed a relative bargain of a four-year contract, worth $54 million, in 2023.

"No, they know they're not getting anything done with Austin Reaves," the exec said. "They were a little bit lucky last time around because he did not get a big offer from somewhere else, he did not want to leave, he took what was in front of him. He can be a little more selective now. He does not have to take a low-ball offer this time."

One advantage the Lakers have with Reaves is that we've seen a depressed market in free agency, as teams are unable to move players and create space thanks to the league's new luxury-tax apron rules. There may not be a line of teams wiling to pay Reaves--but, the exec warns, it only takes one.

"Now, there is not going to be a ton of free-agent money on the market then," they said. "It's just so hard to create cap space now. But I would warn them not to mess around with it. There could be teams--Brooklyn, Washington, even the Clippers--that, we'll see what happens with them. But there could be free-agent space there."

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

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