Austin Reaves grew up in Newark, Arkansas, population 1,177, but the Lakers guard has found a home under the lights of Los Angeles. The 27 year-old has improved each of his four seasons in the NBA, averaging a career-high 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season, establishing himself as the third star alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Reaves hasn't been too subtle about his desire to stay a Laker for a long time, either. In an interview with Lakers Nation earlier this offseason, he responded to a question about his future with the team by saying:
"Fans in LA have treated me great, ever since day one... LA feels like home to me... I want to win a championship more than anything with that organization..."
And when asked about whether he's thought about his looming contract situation — Reaves has a $14.8 million player option in 2026-27 — Reaves said he hasn't but reiterated his desire to be a Laker.
"I haven't, no... I really don't think too far ahead or dwell on the past too much... But, yeah, like I said, I wanna be in LA... My family loves it there, the organization treats them great... We're very grateful to be in LA."
Right now, the marriage between player and franchise seems about as strong as possible. Reaves wants to be in LA, and the team is treating him like they want him to be in LA. That's all good! Whether the Lakers can keep that same energy when it's time to pay Reaves next offseason (hate to break it to you, but he's not picking up that player option) will be one of the biggest questions surrounding this team in 2025-26.
The Lakers are treating Reaves like a long-term cornerstone
And that's what they should do. In his first few seasons, Reaves looked like a nice player to keep around — or maybe use as a trade chip down the line. But now, heading into year five, he looks like Luka Doncic's running mate for the next decade of Lakers basketball.
And he's going to want to be paid like that, too. We've seen situations like this before; player and team seem to be on the same page until contract negotiations actually start in earnest, then things crumble.
Austin Reaves has made it clear he wants to remain in LA, and the Lakers are acting like they'll make sure that's the case. Because Reaves can be a free agent next summer, the team can negotiate a deal with him throughout the season. Why wait? We know what Reaves is capable of, so pay the man and don't even let there be a debate about Reaves' future.