Lakers' Austin Reaves receives $240M contract update amid playoff push alongside Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers know that the face of their franchise is now Luka Doncic after trading for him in February 2025. However, the Lakers do not currently have the ideal roster to contend for a championship, and Doncic wants the organization to build around him as quickly as possible.

“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn't mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he's not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” Jasmyn Wimbish of CBS Sports wrote.

The Lakers currently feature a big three of LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Doncic. However, when the trio shares the court, the results have not been particularly impressive.

“That doesn't sound radical. And based on eye test alone, it feels like a safe assumption. But so far, the data doesn't really back that up. Non-five-player lineup data is never an exact science, so keep that in mind, but in the 316 minutes LA's Big 3 have played together, it's their 109.4 offensive rating that stands out. That mark would rank 29th in the NBA. Meanwhile, the team's defensive rating of 110.5 with all three on the court would be a top-five mark in the league,” Quinn Everts of Lake Show Life wrote.

Reaves is set to become a free agent this summer, and details about his potential next contract have already surfaced.

“The Los Angeles Lakers plan to offer Austin Reaves a five-year, $240 million contract this offseason once unrestricted free agency begins, sources told Lakers Daily,” Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily wrote. “The Lakers have ‘no fear’ of losing the talented undrafted guard, who wants to spend his entire career with the Purple and Gold.”

The Lakers know that Reaves wants to return to Los Angeles, as he has clearly embraced the organization and the city. However, his free agency could still become competitive, as other teams may attempt to offer him significant money.

Los Angeles will likely do whatever it takes to keep Reaves, though committing that much money could make things difficult when pursuing other free agents. Still, Reaves has been highly productive alongside Doncic, so giving him a major contract could make perfect sense for the Lakers’ long-term plans.