Austin Reaves can now leave $14.9 million Lakers contract
Los Angeles has a lot on its plate this offseason.
Austin Reaves can now leave $14. 9 million Lakers contract originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
There's going to be a whole lot of attention given to LeBron James' future after the Los Angeles Lakers ' season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. The reality is that there's a different storyline that might matter more to the Lakers' long-term future, and that's Austin Reaves. The talented, undrafted guard from Oklahoma is coming to a pivot point in his career, and the direction he takes from here will matter greatly.
Reaves' contract has reached the moment when he has to decide on a player option for 2026-27. The amount written in this current deal for that option is $14. 9 million.
Given the level Reaves has reached, it's all but assured that he will decline that player option. And whenever Reaves officially does that, it'll mean he's heading for free agency. MORE: LeBron's retirement update involves the media in a repetitive way The reality with Reaves, like it is with any other player in his spot, is that his current team can offer him an additional year and more money per year on a contract than any other team in the NBA.