Austin Reaves is widely expected to turn down his 2026-27 player option, and would rather not think about the future yet as the Lakers' season officially ends.
Austin Reaves isn't thinking way too ahead about what might be next for him, or whether he would still be staying with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves
MIN: 34.78
PTS: 22.93 (60.77%)
REB: 4.63
AS: 5.53
ST: 0.98
BL: 0.47
TO: 3.12
GM: 57
Speaking for the final time this 2025-26 season after he and the Lakers got swept by the OKC Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, Reaves made everything clear about what he thinks the future might bring him.
“I’m going to be honest. I’ve been around for five years and you all probably know me pretty well. ... I don’t think about much," he told reporters.
"I take life day by day, and I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to play for this organization. I play a kid’s game, I make good money, but I don’t really think about what I’m going to do in the future. I just go day-by-day.”
Reaves caps off his 2025-26 with career-best numbers in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7), shooting 49 percent from the field. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 51 appearances, the lowest since he entered the NBA in 2021 as a little-known undrafted prospect.
Still, despite the calf injury that kept him out from Christmas Day to early February and an oblique complication from the final three games of the regular season until Game 5 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets, Reaves clearly established himself as a cornerstone piece for LA in the Luka Doncic era.
He is widely expected not to exercise his $14.8 million 2026-27 player option and explore the market. As such, all signs suggest that the Lakers will strive to retain him.
As the offseason officially begins for both sides, Reaves and the Lakers’ situation will stand as one of the most anticipated parts of free agency over the next couple of weeks.
Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.