Austin Reaves has cemented his status as a borderline star who's on the cusp of a breakthrough to an even higher level. That's made him the primary figure of interest for the Los Angeles Lakers entering the 2026 offseason, but it's also made his salary a key point of contention.
If the rumor proves true that Reaves will command a salary of more than $40 million per season, however, the Lakers must seriously consider other options in free agency.
Reaves and franchise player Luka Doncic displayed compelling chemistry during their first full season as teammates. Unfortunately, Reaves also turned in a subpar postseason—an unfortunately consistent trend over the past three years. That makes a recent report all the more alarming.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, scouts and executives believe Reaves will receive a salary below the max-level figure he's eligible for of $239 million.
"Several scouts and executives predict something in the range of five years, $200 million, but below his five-year max of $239 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks."
Bontemps proceeded to note, however, that an Eastern Conference scout expects Reaves to sign for an annual salary of at least $40 million.
"I'd be pretty surprised if the first year starts with a 3 instead of a 4," an East scout said, "but the Lakers need to keep him, and by all accounts he wants to be there, so I think they make it work."
Though Reaves has made remarkable progress during his NBA career, the Lakers must seriously consider walking away from the negotiating table if they must pay him $40 million per season.
Austin Reaves expected to make $40+ million per season on new deal
Reaves is a tremendous talent and a player whom Los Angeles has helped develop into a borderline All-Star. As it enters the 2026 offseason, however, it must weigh the value of a talent against the reality of the salary cap, particularly after the introduction of the apron system.
Considering this may be the Lakers' best chance to make sweeping changes and truly kickstart the Doncic era, that makes every penny they spent in 2026 even more important to count.
That makes every ounce of context essential to evaluate. Said context includes the fact that Reaves has shot 42.7 percent from the field and 28.7 percent from beyond the arc between his past three postseason appearances.
Reaves may silence this critic and all others, but the Lakers must be aware of how difficult his contract will be to move if he fails to live up to their expectations at $40 million per season.
In that scenario, Los Angeles would effectively be tying the Doncic era to whether or not Reaves actually makes the All-Star leap. It'd also be betting on Reaves proving that three of his four career postseason appearances were mere learning experiences rather than a sign of things to come.
If the Lakers ultimately find that they can't justify taking that leap of faith, they'd be well within their right to look elsewhere for the ideal fit.
Add us as a preferred source on Google