Austin Reaves’ ‘absolute baseline’ that will force the Lakers into a tough decision originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Austin Reaves has started the 2025/26 NBA season on an absolute tear — and as a result, the price for his services in the future is set to spike.
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In his fifth NBA season, Reaves is stepping out into the limelight in Lakerland. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James sidelined through injury, Reaves is averaging 34.2 points per game; he poured in 51 points in a win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday before scoring 41 in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Two days after that, Reaves sank a game-winning floater in Minneapolis as the Lakers avoided a complete collapse against the Timberwolves.
The hot start could not come at a better time for Reaves, a pending free agent whose future received a big update on Friday.
Reaves’ $30 million per year dream
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported that there is a widespread belief around the NBA when it comes to Reaves’ possible contract demands in 2026: he wants to become one of the 59 players making at least $30 million per season.
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Though Reaves holds a $14.9 million player option for 2026/27, the expectation is that the former Oklahoma star is going to decline it — especially if he can double his money. And a Western Conference executive who spoke to Bontemps thinks the Lakers, ultimately, will decide to pay the cost it will take to keep Reaves in LA.
“I don’t think he’s going to quite keep up this pace because LeBron will take away touches,” the executive said. “But … the Lakers intend to keep him and he intends to stay, so my guess is it gets done.”
Reaves, 27, could secure something close to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency, but the prevailing theory is that the Lakers’ ability to offer a fifth year for more total money could sway the Arkansas native into re-signing long-term as Doncic’s backcourt partner.
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