Austin Reaves is yet to opt into his $14.9 million player option for next season as he is expected to be in the middle of negotiations with the Lakers’ front office for a potential $240 million contract extension in the summer.
Amid the uncertainty around Austin Reaves and LeBron James’ future, Lonzo Ball, the former Lakers player refuted that the 27-year-old Lakers guard deserved a max contract worth that much money.
“Nah, I’m not doing that,” said Lonzo on the ‘Ball in the Family’ podcast. “If he’s on my team, he’s gonna be my fourth. I got $150 million for him, and he’s taking that s—. Plays no [defense]. I keep him, but not for [$240]… I would trade him for Peyton Watson. If we got Luka, I’m cool on offense, honestly.”
Austin Reaves’ brother, Spencer Reaves, saw these comments on social media and clapped back at the free agent guard, who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“They need to stop selling mics at Best Buy,” wrote Reaves’ elder brother, Spencer, on X. He clearly felt that not everyone deserves to have a platform and a say on important matters, especially those that could change someone else’s life forever.
The difference between a $240 million contract and a $150 million contract is not just $90 million, but also an indicator of the faith that the front office has in the emerging star.
During the regular season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc in just 51 games played. In the postseason, Reaves’ numbers fell to 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds while going 40.7% from the field and 25.7% from behind the three-point line.
The 27-year-old star’s season was plagued with injuries and he even missed a significant period in the playoffs and clearly did not seem 100% healthy in the postseason.
Therefore, a true indicator of how well his season was needs to exclude the postseason this year, as he was recovering from a lingering oblique strain. However, the struggles in the playoffs do reduce his leverage in the negotiations.
But considering that Luka Doncic has reportedly asked the front office to keep Austin Reaves untouchable in trade negotiations, Rob Pelinka will likely do everything he can to retain Austin Reaves for the long run.
Both sides have repeatedly expressed their interest in coming to a long-term agreement. Moreover, if Reaves decides to explore free agency, he could be looking at offers valued significantly less than what the Lakers can offer him.
Hence, all signs indicate that the Lakers will likely extend Reaves but it will be interesting to see the figure of the contract extension to determine how much their front office truly values him.
