Teague Believes Austin Reaves Will Seek a Larger Contract

The Lakers have committed their future to Doncic after his long-term extension in the 2025 offseason. With James in his final year with the Lakers, that opens an opportunity to sign other players to assist Doncic in their quest to win the title.

However, some people might recommend that Reaves be re-signed on a bigger contract. He is on the penultimate year of his contract, and he has a player option for the 2026-27 season. Reaves will most likely decline that option to get a bigger contract, which the Lakers might struggle to meet.

Teague Believes Reaves Will Ask for Bigger Money

As an undrafted player, Reaves has been one of the league's biggest success stories in the 2020s. He has become one of the most reliable players on the Lakers, which is not easy to do, especially for a team that has Doncic and James.

Reaves has been on a relatively modest contract since the 2023-24 season, as he signed a $53 million contract over four seasons back then. Now, he will be eligible for a much bigger deal that could be worthy of his production on the court.

Former NBA All-Star point guard Jeff Teague believes Reaves will get paid in the 2026 offseason. The main question that comes out of that is whether that deal will be with the Lakers or any other team.

"He’s going to hit free agency. It’s about to get wicked. He’s about to get $175 million. I want the most money. I never cared about contending," Teague said on the Club 520 podcast.

"I just wanted the money. Who cares about winning until you get the bag? I’m a real person. I tell the truth. I don’t do all that fake s—. You want to get paid first.”

Reaves Deserves a Bigger Deal for His Production

In terms of his skill set, Reaves is one of the most impressive guards in the league. He can be a go-to scorer because he has all the instincts of a star offensive option. Reaves is a three-level scorer who knows how to get to the free-throw line at an elite rate.

Most superstar scorers have that trait, including reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Of course, Reaves won't be that caliber of a star player, but he does have the potential to be an All-Star if he is given the chance.

The Lakers can give him that in the 2026-27 season and moving forward, but it will be tough. General manager Rob Pelinka must balance the books, and he has to find out if James will be willing to stay with the team beyond the 2025-26 campaign.

If the Lakers can retain Reaves, they have an elite offensive backcourt with Doncic and Reaves. Of course, they might struggle defensively because they are superb offensive players, but they lack strong defensive skills.

It will be an interesting situation to monitor because as Teague said, Reaves will look for the money because he knows he deserves a larger contract.