Austin Reaves wants to be paid like a star. He has communicated to the Lakers that he expects a max contract this summer, and a new report indicates Los Angeles is going to have to make a real decision soon.
The numbers back him up. Reaves averaged 21.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds last season while shooting 38 percent from three. He took on a primary playmaking role for stretches when LeBron James and Luka Doncic were out. He held up in the playoffs.
The Lakers know what they have. They also know what a max deal looks like on their cap sheet. With Doncic getting paid, LeBron’s situation unresolved, and the team needing to add an interior anchor, every dollar counts.
Pay Reaves anyway.
Here is why. The Lakers cannot replace what he gives them on the open market without spending the same money. Skilled wing creators who can defend two positions and make their own shot are the most valuable archetype in the modern NBA. Reaves checks every box.
He is also 27. He is in his prime. He has improved every single year since going undrafted out of Oklahoma. The trajectory matters more than the current price tag.
The argument against a max is that Reaves is the third or fourth banana on a team built around Doncic and LeBron. That argument holds zero water in the current cap environment. The new CBA has made every contributing star incredibly expensive. The Lakers can either pay Reaves or watch a contender hand him a max offer sheet they will have to match anyway.
There is also a real value in continuity. Reaves came to Los Angeles undrafted. He played a critical role in the bubble. He has been part of every Lakers playoff team for the last five years. Letting him walk over money would be a culture-breaking decision.
Doncic reportedly wants the front office to be aggressive this summer. Locking up Reaves is the easiest way to show him the franchise is serious about winning.
The number itself will probably land in the four-year, $200 million range. That is a lot. It is also the going rate. The Lakers cannot get cute with this one.
The other dimension is what Reaves represents in the locker room. He is one of the most respected voices on the roster. He is close with both Doncic and LeBron. He sets the tone in the gym every day. Those are intangibles that do not show up on the box score but are massive for a contender.
The Lakers have been criticized for years for being too star-obsessed and not investing in role players. Reaves is the proof point that internal development works. Treat him accordingly.
If Pelinka lowballs this, he risks losing one of the only homegrown success stories the franchise has had in two decades. Pay the man and move on to the bigger swing.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
