Austin Reaves is due for a lucrative, multiyear contract in free agency this summer. The Los Angeles Lakers made it clear they want to re-sign Reaves but the franchise will reportedly have some competition to keep the 28-year-old.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) moves the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are also interested in signing Reaves. The Nets, specifically, are expected to offer Reaves a four-year, $178.5 million contract.
“Multiple front-office sources around the league, granted anonymity to freely discuss an opposing player, expect Reaves to have interest from the Brooklyn Nets, with a four-year, $178.5 million contract expected to be offered. League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge,” Woike wrote.
How Much Can the Lakers Pay Reaves?
With the Lakers, Reaves is eligible for a maximum five-year, $241 million contract. Los Angeles has an exclusive negotiating window to work out a deal with Reaves before free agency begins on June 30.
Ideally, the Lakers would want to pay Reaves less than the maximum contract so the franchise could have more flexibility to sign other free agents. However, Reaves is coming off a career season and will draw a lot of interest in free agency.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 49 percent from the field across 34.5 minutes in 51 games. He also proved he can lead the Lakers when both Luka Doncic and LeBron James were out with injuries at the beginning of the season. Therefore, if the Lakers want to keep Reaves on the team, Los Angeles will have to be open to spending the big bucks on him this summer.
