Has guard Austin Reaves gotten too expensive for his Los Angeles Lakers?

The 6-foot-5 Oklahoma product, 27, is in the midst of a breakout run to kick off the 2025-26 season for the 8-3 Lakers.

Through eight healthy contests with Los Angeles so far, Reaves averaged 30.3 points on .480/.324/.880 shooting splits, 9.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals a night. He suddenly is playing at the level of Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson, the All-Star secondary ball handlers alongside whom five-time All-NBA Lakers guard Luka Doncic enjoyed his most success while with the Dallas Mavericks.

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Over the summer, the Lakers did hop on a videoconference call with Reaves and his reps at AMR Agency, Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry, to tender a four-season, $89 million contract extension offer his way, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. It was a mere formality, as both sides knew Reaves could fetch much more in unrestricted free agency next summer.

Reaves will be able to ink a five-year, $241 million maximum salary with Los Angeles if he declines his player option for 2026-27. He could sign a four-season, $178.5 million contract elsewhere.

A rival Eastern Conference front office executive believes a surprise squad in their conference should go all-in for the $178.5 million deal.

Reaves in Brooklyn?

“AR’s a stud,” the executive told McMenamin. “If I were the Brooklyn Nets, I would throw all the money at him. He has shown when he gets the keys to the engine, he can produce.”

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The Nets selected five players in just the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, a first for the league. Only one of those players has cracked the team’s rotation, as it embraces another season of naked tanking ahead of what is supposed to be a loaded 2026 NBA Draft.

So far, Brooklyn is 1-9 on the year, and will be hard-pressed to win more than 20 games.

If a tanking team at Brooklyn’s level is bold enough to offer Reaves a full max, it’s clear that Los Angeles must be ready to at least give him a fifth year on a deal and a near-maximum annual rate if it wants to truly stay competitive in the bidding.

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