If the Los Angeles Lakers were hoping to avoid overpaying Austin Reaves, that dream is flown out of the window. With a relatively thin market for high-level guards, Ayo Dosunmu represented an opportunity to sign another player for less than what Reaves is commanding and still maintain the team's overall quality.
Unfortunately, Dosunmu intends to re-sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lakers are thus stuck with no option but to pay Reaves what the market commands them to.
Reaves, 28, and Dosunmu, 26, are among the top guards who entered the 2026 offseason as eligible for unrestricted free agency. Re-signing Reaves was always a top priority for the Lakers, but Dosunmu represented the opportunity to commit to a talented two-way player for roughly half the price.
That materialized in a way the Lakers won't particularly like, as Dosunmu committed to re-signing with with the Timberwolves on a five-year, $112 million contract.
Free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu intends to sign a five-year, $112 million contract to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a player option in the fifth season, sources tell ESPN. Timberwolves made it a major priority to lock in Dosunmu after his tremendous postseason. pic.twitter.com/xw93nAUhJt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Though that's a lucrative deal, it could ultimately amount to half the money that Reaves will ultimately sign for this summer.
Ayo Dosunmu re-signs for half of what Austin Reaves will make
The Brooklyn Nets reportedly intend to extend a four-year contract offer to Reaves worth $178.5 million. It's unclear if their plans have changed since trading for Julius Randle, but their interest seemingly revealed the market for the Lakers guard.
That puts the Lakers in a position where they may have to pay Reaves in the neighborhood of $45 million per season to re-sign him.
Dosunmu, meanwhile, will make an average of $22.4 million per season. That's less than half of the $45 million figure Reaves could sign for. It's thus at least fair to question if Reaves can provide twice as much value as Dosunmu in a salary-capped league.
For better or worse, that's the burden that players on massive annual salaries face in comparison to those who consume significantly less cap space—especially with apron penalties now a consideration.
Is Austin Reaves twice as valuable as Ayo Dosunmu relative to the cap?
The good news is that Reaves has steadily improved throughout his Lakers career. He's improved his scoring average with every season that's passed during his five-year NBA career and landed at 23.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 three-point field goals made on .490/.360/.871 shooting in 2025-26.
Dosunmu, meanwhile, averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 three-point field goals made on .517/.439/.876 shooting this past season.
The hope moving forward is that Reaves can continue to grow and solidify his place as an All-Star alongside franchise player Luka Doncic. The two displayed compelling chemistry in 2025-26 and should have an even more manageable path to thriving as teammates with more clearly defined roles in 2026-27.
It simply can't be overlooked that the Lakers' best backup plan at shooting guard plans to sign elsewhere for half of Reaves' projected salary.
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