“Woof, what a journey it has been, man.” No, Austin Reaves did not say this. At least, not in front of anyone. But I’ll bet this is what he tells himself every time he looks in the mirror. From going undrafted to being one of the pillars of this Lakers side, it has been some journey for Austin. Last year proved to be a true breakout year for the Arkansas native as he averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds – all career-high stats. But the Lakers fans are worried about his future in LA, after he rejected a four-year extension worth almost $90 million. Before the Lakers fans start burning their Reaves jerseys, let’s pump the brakes.
“Whenever you sign a player to a deal with an option, you willingly give them the control to initially guide the situation.” this is what an anonymous executive told Spotrac, after LeBron James opted in on $52.6 million player option. “But this notion that a player option gives the player all of the power is pretty silly. If they opt out, the team is then a partner in re-signing them or not. If they opt in, then the team is a partner in whatever happens next, too.” Okay, so how does this affect the Austin Reaves situation?
Travor Lane, of the Lakers Nation, gave an in-depth overview of this issue. He explained, “A player opting out doesn’t mean a player is leaving. For example, Austin Reaves is almost certain to opt out of his contract next year. That doesn’t mean he’s leaving the Lakers.” Yup, I heard that sigh of relief, Laker fans. Lane further added, Austin has specifically told me, we interviewed him last month, and he said that he wants to be a Laker for life. He wants to stay with the team. He doesn’t sound like he’s looking to go anywhere, but he is going to probably wind up opting out of that contract. It doesn’t mean a player is leaving if they opt out of the player option, but at that point, the team then has a decision to make.”
Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) is interviewed after defeating the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Let’s simplify this. Reaves has only two years remaining on his current deal. After declining the extension offer from the Lakers, he’s also expected to opt out of $14.8 million player option next summer. Basically, he’s leveraging all this for a better contract from the Lakers. Declining the extension does not mean he’ll for sure. Instead, he can re-sign for the Lakers on better financial terms. So, as Travor Lane revealed, Rob Pelinka isn’t sweating on this issue. On the contrary, Pelinka is singing songs of praise for Austin Reaves.
Austin Reaves receives high praise from Rob Pelinka
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka made it clear the team has no plans to trade Austin Reaves. “The level of confidence in Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic is at an all-time high still,” Pelinka said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think those three guys have incredible promise playing together. And we will collectively do a better job to make sure they’re surrounded with the right pieces to have ultimate success.” That’ll be music to the ears of the Lakers faithful.
Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) react against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Lakers analyst, Jovan Buha, also commented, “I think the Lakers are going to prioritize keeping Austin over Smart or Rui. I think Austin on his next contract, is going to actually have more value for the Lakers because he’s going to be at a higher salary, so he could bring back a higher-salary player. He’s also going to be under contract for multiple years.” Simply means that a better contract would allow the Lakers to pursue a greater return in the event of an Austin Reaves trade.
This reiterates why Rob Pelinka isn’t stressing much over the Austin Reaves situation. Instead, they’re fully focused on building a championship-winning team around their new star, Luka Doncic. The arrivals of Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton solve the key issue the Lakers faced in the paint, while the recent addition of Marcus Smart can help in sorting out the leaky backcourt problems. With the Lakers moving ahead with full steam to claim the title, Austin Reaves will be an integral part of that jigsaw.
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