Austin Reaves is set for a big payday this offseason, and it looks like he wants all the money he can get. Reaves would be eligible to get a five-year, $241 million max contract from the Los Angeles Lakers if he declines his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, and he is reportedly unwilling to take a hometown discount.
That report hasn’t gone down too well among some Lakers fans, and former NBA star Gilbert Arenas is one of them. Arenas made it pretty clear in hilarious fashion on Instagram that he doesn’t believe Reaves deserves that kind of contract.
“I guess the jig is up,” Arenas said. “Everybody knows that Austin Reaves is asking for $241 million. I don’t know if it’s pesos, if it’s pesos, boy, boy, ask for a little bit more. We got you on that. But two hundred and forty-one million US dollars? You know what, we don’t even need to really disrespect you. We’re just gonna go to the wheel.”
Arenas then spun a wheel in his home that would determine the Lakers’ answer to Reaves wanting $241 million.
“Whatever it lands on, that’s our answer,” Arenas said. “… It’s ‘Try again.’ Yep. You almost got to ‘Get the f*** out.’ You almost got get out. ‘Nope’ was almost there, but try again. You better come with a better number, okay? That’s it. You know what I mean. You’re just a little too high. So you could have had just a regular nope. We’re saying try again. You almost got get the f*** out of this office, okay? So one more time. Let’s do it again.”
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Arenas isn’t the only notable name to have come out and said this. Former Laker Lonzo Ball also believes Reaves is not worth the max. Ball says $150 million is all he would put on the table.
The Lakers would definitely love for Reaves to sign a deal in that range. You can’t blame the 28-year-old if he does want the max, though. Almost every player in his position would want it.
It should also be pointed out that Reaves was underpaid this season and last. Back in 2023, he agreed to a four-year, $53.8 million deal, which was the maximum he could sign for at the time. To say he has outperformed that contract would be an understatement.
Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25. The guard, who went undrafted in 2021, followed that up by recording 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26.
A significant pay raise is in order, and the question now is whether the two parties can agree on what the number should be. Four teams could steal Reaves if the Lakers try to lowball him. The max he can get from any other team is a four-year, $178 million deal, so it’s still more likely he ends up staying. Ultimately, though, only time will tell how this situation pans out.
The Lakers also have big decisions to make regarding the likes of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. This is one of their most important offseasons in recent history, and it’s critical that the front office makes the right calls.
