There is no question that the Los Angeles Lakers want to re-sign Austin Reaves, but how much they are willing to pay to do so remains to be seen. As Dan Woike of The Athletic reported on Friday, the Nets are expected to offer the guard a four-year, $178.5 million deal, and the Hawks and Pistons are among other teams that could make a "competitive offer" (subscription required).
All the Lakers need to do is remember Luka Dončić exists. After all, he is the person who their offseason will revolve around. As Woike noted, Reaves is the ideal fit beside the superstar guard:
Internally, there’s a strong desire to give Dončić the best-fitting teammates. And in addition to being a bit of a chameleon on the floor, Reaves fits a real roster need as a secondary playmaker who can create his own shot on the ball and be effective off of it.
Brooklyn's expected offer will be worth roughly $44 million per year, and if keeping Reaves means LA will need to pay more than that, then so be it.
Luka Doncic is at the forefront of the Lakers' mind
The most the Lakers can offer Reaves is a five-year, $241 million contract, which is around $48 million per year. If there is a way for LA to re-sign him without giving him the max, that is, of course, the preferred route, as it'd give the team more financial flexibility for other moves.
That doesn't mean the Lakers should even think about lowballing Reaves as soon as they're able to negotiate, which could be on Sunday if the Knicks beat the Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday. They can't take advantage of the fact that the guard has said he wants to remain in Los Angeles, not with other suitors preparing to offer him what he's worth, which is believed to be at least $40 million.
It all goes back to Dončić.
He signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers last summer, so he's under contract through at least the 2027-28 season. He will have a $57.4 million player option in 2028-29.
The last thing the Lakers want to do is make Dončić unhappy by allowing Reaves to slip through their fingers.
Woike reported in May that Luka "made it clear" to the front office that he wants to continue playing alongside his backcourt mate (subscription required), viewing Reaves as "a long-term piece next to him." Los Angeles hasn't given any indication that it feels any different from Dončić, but his words give the organization even more reason to do what is necessary to keep Reaves.
The Lakers lucked into landing Dončić last year, and they want to capitalize on that by constructing a roster around him that can win a championship. There is a reason why Reaves is at the top of not only their list, but Luka's, too. And right below that should be a quality center and an elite-level wing or two. Is that too much to ask?
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