Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Austin Reaves Expected to Sign New Contract With Los Angeles Lakers, Likely to Earn $30M Per Year

Reaves finished the recent-past season as the Lakers' third leading scorer behind Doncic and James.

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is expected to sign a new contract with the franchise next off season. According to reports by NBA insider Tim Bontemps of ESPN, he would be able to earn $30M per year after signing the new contract. Reaves, 27, has a player option for the 2026-27 season, and it is highly likely that he will decline that player option and sign a new deal with the 17-time champions.

Reaves, who went undrafted four seasons ago, declined a four-year contract extension with the Lakers worth $89.2 million. However, his decision to not accept the contract doesn’t reflect any rift with the management. In fact, he has expressed his desire to remain with the Lakers for a long term. Speaking at his annual youth camp in Arkansas, he said, “I’m not worried about it. I want to be in L.A. [and] I want to play my whole career in L.A. I love it there.”

REPORT: Austin Reaves is expected to re-sign with the Lakers, solidifying his long-term role alongside Luka Dončić, per ESPN.

His deal is projected to exceed $30M per year💰 pic.twitter.com/f1oxGbMaQC
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) August 6, 2025

Reaves has had his career-best season in 2024-25, where he averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He started for the Lakers in all the 73 games he played this past season. Reaves was shooting 46.0% from the field, 37.7% from beyond the arc and 87.7% from the free-throw line. He finished the season as the Lakers’ third-leading scorer behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Los Angeles Lakers Prioritizing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Over LeBron James

There have been reports that the Lakers have already started to build a foundation for their future. They know that James, despite being truly the GOAT, is in the final stage of his career. Hence, there have been reports that they are aiming to build a team around Doncic and Reaves, and are prioritizing them over the four-time NBA champion.

According to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, “The Lakers are more or less married to their current roster for the next two years, with the biggest factor being LeBron James. They could bring him back on a one-year maximum-level contract in 2026-27 as they wait out their cap space plans. But Doncic and Reaves are the two priorities in their quest for a star.”

It is pretty obvious, as both Doncic and Reaves have entered the prime of their careers, while James, 40, has been the oldest active player in the league for two straight seasons.

Austin Reaves

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.