TITLE: Executives Expect Austin Reaves to Re-Sign With Lakers Next Summer
SLUG: executives-expect-austin-reaves-to-re-sign-with-lakers-next-summer
CONTENT:
League executives believe guard Austin Reaves is likely to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers when he reaches unrestricted free agency in the 2025 offseason, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Reaves, 26, recently turned down a four-year extension that would have averaged about $23 million annually, the maximum Los Angeles could offer under NBA rules limiting first-year raises. Declining the deal allows him to opt out of his current contract next July and negotiate a new agreement that could reach the full 25 percent maximum salary.
Despite headlines about the rejected extension, multiple front-office sources told ESPN they expect Reaves to remain in Los Angeles, where the organization envisions him as the long-term backcourt partner for Luka Doncic. The two guards logged 668 regular-season minutes together after Doncic arrived via trade, posting a plus-6.5 net rating—the second-highest two-man total on the roster.
Doncic is signed through the 2027-28 campaign, giving the Lakers an opportunity to secure a stable backcourt core if Reaves agrees to a multi-year contract next summer.
Imagem: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via lakersnation.com
General manager Rob Pelinka has continued reshaping the roster around Doncic, adding center Deandre Ayton in free agency and defensive specialists Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. Pelinka said the front office is committed to “win-now” moves while preserving flexibility for future opportunities.
Source: Lakers Nation
