The Los Angeles Lakers may lose Austin Reaves in free agency as his superstar breakout continues. He is averaging 28.6 points, 8.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 36.3 minutes per game through 10 contests. Reaves is in the top ten in the NBA in points and assists per game after declining the max extension (subscription required) that the Lakers could offer. He is searching for a massive payday in the offseason, and it may be more than Los Angeles is willing to offer.
The Lakers saw firsthand what Reaves can do as the number one option when Luka Doncic and LeBron James were out. The 27-year-old averaged 40 points and ten assists as LA improbably won two of three without their two superstars. Their only loss came on the second night of a back-to-back as well.
It wasn’t just the Lakers watching. Everyone knows Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Teams will be lining up to offer him a max contract, which will leave Los Angeles with a difficult decision to make.
Austin Reaves is all but guaranteeing his Lakers departure with his superstar breakout
The Lakers have Luka Doncic locked in as their alpha, and the franchise has created flexibility to build around him. That instantly goes away if Reaves is on a max contract.
They can offer a five-year $241 million contract, which is significantly more than the four-year $178.5 million that Reaves can receive elsewhere. If the Lakers give him every dollar, they would only have room to put role players around Doncic and Reaves.
AR has been the Lakers' most important player this season. They have outscored the opposition by 56 points in his 363 minutes on the floor. LA is 13.8 points per 100 possessions better with Reaves in the game if fans want a more advanced metric. He has been fantastic, which is why massive offers will be waiting.
There are questions about the fit with Doncic and Reaves. The Lakers are 5-2 to begin this season when the star duo plays, but both are subpar defenders. Luka thrived playing with Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving in Dallas. He could do so with AR, but it is the front office that must believe that.
Reaves wants to stay with the Lakers and may be willing to take a discount to make it happen, but teams will be offering a chance to be the face of their franchise. If he can get $44.6 million per year and be a superstar elsewhere, that will be difficult to decline.
The Lakers need to do whatever it takes to keep Reaves. He is a second prime superstar who makes LA a serious threat to win the title. The NBA is loaded with talent, but Doncic and Reaves could be the next great Lakers duo for a decade straight. The front office cannot let them get split up.
Austin Reaves is playing his way into a max contract. The Los Angeles Lakers will have to decide if they are willing to offer anywhere near it to keep him. He may take a slight discount to stay in LA, but not tens of millions. His breakout could be what has Reaves packing his bags.
The Lakers can’t afford to get cute, and this will be one of the biggest talking points of the season. Reaves will be a free agent, and fans will have to wait to see who wins the bidding for his services.