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Austin Reaves has formally declined a max contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have paid him $89.2 million over four seasons. Reaves signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Lakers in 2023, which was the max deal the Lakers could offer at that time.

Rivers can become a free agent in 2026 and command a contract at a significantly higher amount than his current max.

The Lakers have never shown interest in trading Reaves, but there are skeptics around the NBA of his future with the franchise considering his overlap with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Reaves averaged 20.2 points per game this past season.

Reaves told a local television station he hoped to remain with the team throughout his career.

“I want to be in LA. I want to play my whole career in LA. I love it there. I love the fans. Love the weather, love the golf,” Reaves told K8 News. “And obviously the Lakers are the best organization in basketball.”

Via Dan Woike/The Athletic

One of the most overrated players in the NBA.

He better stay healthy and have a good year. Turning down money like that is a good move on "paper" to chase a bigger bag but I do not think his ceiling is as high as he believes....so it could easily backfire on him. I should add that Cali is super expense so 90 million is a lot less out there - so if his plan is to take 90-100 million some where else with a better tax situation - I understand his thinking and as along as he stays healthy - he should be able to demand 90-120 at the most somewhere else...like a Tyler Herro type situation. So overall, it might be a good decision for him - because Cali taxes you so much.

Lakers always have players that are crazy overrated solely based on having the ridiculous "Lakers spotlight" on them. When they go to other teams they quickly become significantly less relevant, they all of a sudden stop getting those calls they got used to and reality sets in. Austin is just another one

For his sake, he'd better hope that betting on himself pans out because this could be a very costly mistake. Ask Dennis Schroeder how it worked out for him.

Fire your agent, you're not that guy Austin, this is fair.

WiggOuts wrote:Lakers always have players that are crazy overrated solely based on having the ridiculous "Lakers spotlight" on them. When they go to other teams they quickly become significantly less relevant, they all of a sudden stop getting those calls they got used to and reality sets in. Austin is just another one

Completely agree. Caruso is a perfect example of this

WiggOuts wrote:Lakers always have players that are crazy overrated solely based on having the ridiculous "Lakers spotlight" on them. When they go to other teams they quickly become significantly less relevant, they all of a sudden stop getting those calls they got used to and reality sets in. Austin is just another one

You nailed it my friend.

Complete moron for turning this down. This is definitely his maximum market value. He’s going to regret this.

closg00 wrote:Fire your agent, you're not that guy Austin, this is fair.

No it’s not, he should be making Derrick White $$.

If White got 4 yr $120M deal then he should be making just as much. White is a better defender but Reaves is also better offensively. Both are “glue guys”.

Revived wrote:

closg00 wrote:Fire your agent, you're not that guy Austin, this is fair.

No it’s not, he should be making Derrick White $$.

If White got 4 yr $120M deal then he should be making just as much. White is a better defender but Reaves is also better offensively. Both are “glue guys”.

I'd probably take White, but that's a good comp... and White was overpaid. Still, we don't know what Reaves can do outside of the shadow of Lebron, and now he's in Luka's shadow as well. It might be a down year for Reaves.

Don't Schroeder yourself son.

Somewhat of a gamble, because he's not the kind of guy with the pedigree or established credibility where he has a floor of like a 50, 60 million dollar deal. He is a bad year or an injury away from being a mid-level exception or worse player.