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Austin Reaves Poised to Decline Player Option, Seek $30M Deal as Lakers Face Cap Crunch

Dončić’s extension has locked in major commitments, forcing the Lakers to balance Reaves’s expected $30M market value against limited cap flexibility.

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on April 6, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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Overview

  • Reaves is widely expected to decline his $14.9 million player option and pursue a free-agent deal paying around $30 million per year, according to multiple Lakers insiders.
  • Jovan Buha and Kurt Helin project that Reaves will ultimately re-sign with Los Angeles, but they warn that his rising market value intensifies front-office pressure.
  • Luka Dončić’s three-year, $165 million extension, along with signings like Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, has compressed the Lakers’ salary cap and complicated contract planning.
  • Questions about Reaves’s defensive shortcomings and past playoff dips have sparked speculation that the Lakers could trade him to acquire more complementary pieces.
  • Reaves’s career-best 2024–25 season—20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds on strong shooting—has given him leverage, making this upcoming season a critical proving ground.