Lakers have $178.5 million Austin Reaves problem they can't ignore

Despite his postseason struggles from an efficiency and on-ball defense standpoint, there’s no question Austin Reaves has earned respect from the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The 6-foot-5 guard joined the Lakers in 2021 as an undrafted rookie and had quickly blossomed into one of the most talented perimeter studs in the league. Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game this season, shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they are now facing a $178.5 million offseason problem tied to Reaves that they can’t ignore moving forward.

“The Lakers have an exclusive negotiating window following the conclusion of the NBA season and before the opening of free agency on June 30,” The Athletic’s Dan Woike wrote Friday. 

“Because of Reaves’ relatively small cap hold ($20.9 million), the Lakers would like to agree to a deal but hold off signing Reaves until they execute the rest of their offseason business.”

“Multiple front-office sources around the league, granted anonymity to freely discuss an opposing player, expect Reaves to have interest from the Brooklyn Nets, with a four-year, $178.5 million contract expected to be offered.

As much as the Lakers value Reaves, it’s challenging to envision a scenario where they’d be willing to pay Reaves more than $44.6 million a year.  The main issue for Los Angeles is that chasing a colossal payday may prove to be a higher priority for Reaves than accepting a less lucrative deal to return to a Lakers franchise expected to compete for championships in the foreseeable future. 

Essentially, if the Lakers don’t feel comfortable matching that Nets’ perceived offer, and Reaves feels content signing with a Brooklyn franchise that’s clearly willing to meet his hefty contract demands, Los Angeles could lose their breakout star for nothing. 

That particular scenario certainly wouldn’t satisfy Reaves’ backcourt mate, Luka Doncic, making it vital for Los Angeles to put their best foot forward in the Reaves offseason sweepstakes.

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