Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is playing the best basketball of his career — and doing it with a sense of purpose that extends beyond the stat sheet or his next contract. After returning from a short injury absence, Reaves poured in 24 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in a 121-111 win over Charlotte, picking up right where he left off.
Reaves, who is averaging over 30 points per game this season, is eligible for a five-year, $241 million deal with the Lakers this summer, or four years, $178.5 million elsewhere, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Despite the staggering figures, the 27-year-old insists he’s not chasing the biggest possible payday.
As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin outlines, two of Reaves’ contemporaries at shooting guard — Tyler Herro and Jordan Poole — are each on deals worth roughly 20% of the salary cap. A comparable structure for Reaves would start around $33 million per season and grow with 8% annual raises, totaling approximately $147.8 million over four years or $191.4 million over five.
“I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Reaves told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”
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Reaves’ unselfishness has resonated with Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who has pushed him to take on a greater leadership role. “The biggest thing was him taking a step forward as a leader and recognizing that it’s as much his team as it is LeBron’s or Luka’s team,” Redick said. “He’s out of excuses. You’re no longer the undrafted guy — you’re one of the main guys now.”
The partnership between Reaves and Luka Doncic has blossomed into one of the league’s most dynamic backcourts. According to Greg Harvey, they became the first teammates in NBA history to each post over 200 points and 50 assists in their first seven games of a season.
“They both realized that they both enjoy talking trash — a lot,” Redick joked. “Their personalities in that regard are very similar.”
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Reaves’ loyalty to Los Angeles may eventually be tested as rival teams with cap space circle, but for now, he’s not interested in distractions. His focus is on winning — and on proving that his rise from undrafted guard to cornerstone Laker is no fluke.
“I hate missing games,” Reaves said. “I want to do everything I can to help us win.”