Austin Reaves just put on a show for the Los Angeles Lakers, [carrying them to a win over the Sacramento Kings](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46741338/austin-reaves-scores-career-high-51-points-lakers-win) without Luka Doncic or LeBron James in the lineup. But this sort of performance is exactly what the Lakers are going to miss when he gets a huge payday this summer, even if they are the one to pay him.
If the Lakers pay Reaves a max contract (or close to it), they are going to expect these types of nights from him. Rather than this being a great surprise because of how valuable his contract is, it will become a standard. And if they don’t pay him, then he’ll be on another team, likely finding success there.
No matter what, while Reaves’ performance against the Kings was awesome, it serves as a reminder of what’s to come for LA.
**What will happen with Austin Reaves?**
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Reaves has a played option for the 2026-27 season, which he will undoubtedly decline, entering unrestricted free agency. That will be a very, _very_ scary time for the Lakers.
If he so pleases, Reaves could leave LA altogether, choosing to sign with another team that pays him a ton of money. However, it would make a ton of sense to simply re-sign in LA in a new, likely max contract.
Bringing Reaves back to be Doncic’s backcourt partner for years to come would be a smart idea for the Lakers. The two guards would form what is probably the best offensive backcourt in the league.
However, once the money kicks in, expectations change. The same can be said for any player around the league. It’s simply the way things go.
Every night, fans will expect Reaves to be one of the best players on the court, and while games like his 51-point showing against the Kings will still be special, he will be _expected_ to lead.
On top of that, if Reaves keeps churning out performances like that one, teams around the league will certainly take even more notice. That could hike up his pricetag in free agency and perhaps even make more teams interested in throwing him an offer. That’s dangerous for the Lakers.
Even if they do re-sign him, which seems relatively likely, it will put a massive dent into their cap flexibility, especially if James sticks around for another season.
Reaves playing well is _obviously_ amazing for the Lakers, but it’s going to make the team’s future a bit trickier to navigate after this season, one way or another.