Luka, LeBron… and the $30 million question haunting the Lakers

This is a crucial season for the Los Angeles Lakers – the first with Luka Doncic in uniform from opening night, and quite possibly the last with LeBron James still leading the team. The franchise sits at a crossroads between a present that demands immediate success and a future that needs to be built around Doncic. Among the many questions they face, none looms larger than the one surrounding Austin Reaves, whose breakout has positioned him as both a cornerstone and a potential trade piece.

Reaves’ rise and the playoff reality check

At 27, Reaves has become one of the league’s most remarkable stories – an undrafted player who worked his way into near-All-Star status. His path is already familiar to Lakers fans, but what stands out is how consistently effective he’s been. Last season, he averaged over 20 points, nearly five rebounds and six assists per game, thriving as both a secondary playmaker and off-ball scorer alongside Doncic.

That rhythm broke in the playoffs. Against the Timberwolves’ size and physicality, Reaves’ efficiency plummeted. His defensive limitations became clear, and a painful toe injury only deepened the struggles. What had been a promising year ended with doubts about how well he could hold up deep in May.

Proving he can play with Doncic – and getting paid

This season, Reaves’ main task is to show he can truly coexist with Doncic in the backcourt. His success will largely depend on what they can offer defensively as a pairing. For now, Reaves remains one of the league’s biggest bargains – locked into a four-year, $54 million deal signed in 2023 – but that will soon change. He has a player option he’s almost certain to decline next summer, allowing him to test free agency in a market flush with new TV money.

The Lakers offered him a maximum extension under current rules – four years and $89.2 million, which Reaves declined. “I thought there was a good chance for, like, a week after I declined the extension that there was a possibility I’d get traded,” he admitted recently. “I mean, it’s still a possibility.”

Reaves insists that doesn’t mean he wants out. “It’s a business at the end of the day,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be in L.A. I want to be in L.A. for my whole career. And hopefully we can make that happen.”

Still, the math is complicated. Reaves will almost certainly seek a deal closer to $30 million a year, and the Lakers will have to decide if they’re willing to meet that price – or entertain trade offers before he walks for nothing.

The LeBron GOAT factor – admiration and lessons

Reaves enters what could be his final season with LeBron James as a mentor. Both players were the subject of constant offseason speculation, but they’ll begin 2025–26 together once more.

Asked about James’ influence, Reaves couldn’t have been more effusive: “There’s literally no other reason for him to continue to play basketball,” he said. “In my opinion, he’s the best player to ever touch a basketball. He probably could’ve retired six years ago and people would still say the same thing. He has enough money … But that’s the only reason he’s still playing – because he loves the grind, he loves the game, he wants to continue to get better. That’s the most incredible thing about him, how he conducts himself on and off the court.”

A grandmother’s warning

During media day, Reaves shared an anecdote that captured his bond with the team – and the occasional tension that comes with it. He recalled a rookie-year exchange when JJ Redick blamed him for a mistake during a game. Reaves grabbed the team’s iPad, reviewed the clip, and discovered he’d been right.

“That’s also a good thing about him,” Reaves explained. “You can go back at him.” The two have had several similar moments since. “My grandma one day was so mad at him,” Reaves said, laughing. “She was like, ‘If he yells at you like that one more time…’ I told her, ‘Grandma, it’s OK. Your kids – my mom – have yelled at me way worse than that.’”

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