Lakers’ Austin Reaves receives $240M contract update amid playoff push alongside Luka Doncic initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers know that the face of their franchise is now Luka Doncic after buying and selling for him in February 2025. However, the Lakers don’t at present have the best roster to contend for a championship, and Doncic wants the organization to build around him as quickly as possible.
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“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 at present characteristic an enormous three of LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Doncic. However, when the trio shares the courtroom, the outcomes haven’t been significantly spectacular.
“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 about to turn out to be a free agent this summer season, and particulars about his potential subsequent contract have already surfaced.
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“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 desires to return to Los Angeles, as he has clearly embraced the group and the town. However, his free company may nonetheless turn out to be aggressive, as different groups might try to supply him vital cash.
Los Angeles will doubtless do no matter it takes to maintain Reaves, although committing that a lot cash may make issues tough when pursuing different free brokers. Still, Reaves has been extremely productive alongside Doncic, so giving him a serious contract may make excellent sense for the Lakers’ long-term plans.
