EL SEGUNDO — If there were any doubts about Austin Reaves’ standing with the Lakers, general manager Rob Pelinka provided clarity on how Reaves is viewed by the organization.
“When your foundation for those three players is that they’re players of high character and a highly competitive nature, that’s the perfect starting point, to have three players like that,” Pelinka responded when asked about the benefit of having training camp ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“LeBron [James is] a selfless player, high character. All he cares about is winning. Luka Doncic, the same. Austin Reaves, the same. When you get those three pillars in a training camp environment and you’re starting to build an ethos around them, that’s a great starting point.”
Pelinka referring to Reaves as one of the team’s pillars, along with Doncic and James, aligns with the sentiments that’ve been expressed about Reaves throughout 2024-25.
But the questions about Reaves have been louder, at least externally, since the team’s season ended April 30 after being knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Reaves’ name being in a constant swirl of trade buzz over the last couple of weeks.
Some of the buzz has little do with Reaves.
The Lakers’ obvious needs of upgrading their big man rotation and wing depth – which Pelinka directly addressed before the season ended – have led to rumors about the Lakers possibly including Reaves in a trade to address one of their roster/personnel holes.
Reaves’ struggles in the Lakers’ five-game first-round series against the Timberwolves also added fuel to the fire that are trade rumors.
“Obviously I didn’t have the series that I wanted to have,” Reaves said during his end-of-season news conference. “You could point the finger at me. I really don’t care. I wasn’t good enough to help us be successful and I wish I could have [done] more, but I didn’t. I struggled.
“You live and you learn. And I guarantee that I’ll get back to work this offseason and be better.”
And despite the chemistry of Doncic, James and Reaves improving as they got more time on the court together, questions about their collective fit will continue to be asked until they produce and win on a bigger stage in the playoffs.
“Just play better,” Reaves said. “I feel like I’m talented enough to do that. As I feel like I’ve proven over and over again throughout my whole life. There’s millions of people that would’ve never known me if I was never in this position [because] quite frankly, nobody thought I was ever gonna be in this position.
“I’ve continued to prove myself over and over again. And I’m gonna go to work and do the same thing next year. That’s really it. I just needed to be better, and I wasn’t.”
But Reaves’ standing remains strong within the organization, which champions Reaves’ journey from going undrafted in 2021 to a player widely viewed as having All-Star potential.
The 26-year-old is entering his theoretical prime and is coming off a career year with averages of 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 73 games (all starts), and making a career-best 200 3-pointers (37.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 46% from the field overall).
Reaves was one of 13 players to average at least 20 points/5.5 assists/4.5 rebounds in 2024-25, including: Doncic, James, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, Miami’s Tyler Herro, San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox and the Clippers’ James Harden.
And with a $13.9 million salary for 2025-26 – which is just under the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception for next season – Reaves will again be on a team-friendly deal. Which also makes it challenging to have Reaves involved in a trade for another player as productive or good as him since most who’d qualify would either make double – or even triple – his salary.
But that likely won’t be the case for long.
Reaves has a $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, which he’s likely to decline and become an unrestricted free agent during the 2026 offseason. He’ll become eligible for a contract extension in early July, but the four-year, $89.2 million maximum extension the Lakers could offer him is well below what Reaves would likely sign for on the open market. If he becomes a free agent in the 2026 offseason, he could sign a contract worth up to 25% of the salary cap with the Lakers or another team with cap space. The first-year salary of a theoretical long-term deal would be around $42.5 million.
But those business matters are ones the Lakers will likely be glad to work through when the time comes.
The Lakers’ trade for Doncic showed why the “never say never” cliche is a reality in the NBA. But it isn’t clear whether a player will be available for the Lakers to trade for that’d make it worth including Reaves.
For now, it’s evident how much Reaves is valued by his team. And why it’s likely he’ll be back with the Lakers next season.