Lakers fans, rejoice! After a summer of uncertainty surrounding Luka Doncic and his future with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Slovenian superstar is signing a three-year, $165 million deal to stay in LA. This will keep Doncic with the Lakers until at least the summer of 2028, when he will have a player option.
Retaining one of the best players in the NBA in his prime when he is in the best shape of his life is obviously a massive win for the Lakers. This no-brainer decision, however, will have ripple effects on the team and could signal the end of one Laker's time in Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves' Time in LA May Come to an End After the Luka Doncic Extension
Doncic's new deal gives him $55 million annual average salary. While he will most certainly live up to this price tag, the Lakers have other decisions to make to optimize the roster around him. One of those decisions involve Austin Reaves.
Reaves has one more year on his contract and has a player option worth $14.8 million for the 2026-27 season. He has obviously outplayed that amount and will be turning it down. In fact, he has already bet on himself and declined a max contract extension with the Lakers earlier in the summer that would have paid him $89.2 million over four years.
This means that he will be looking for a larger deal in free agency next season. This will put him between the $25 million and $30 million annual salary range and could increase depending on how the 2025-26 season goes for him. The Doncic extension makes it harder for the Lakers to stomach giving Reaves that lucrative of a new deal.
The Lakers will understandably have hesitations about the fit between Doncic and Reaves. Both players are better on the ball than off. They both have defensive weaknesses, making it hard for any team to have an elite defense with them as the backcourt pairing. Would the Lakers seriously want to pay over $80 million annually for a questionable backcourt duo?
That is why Reaves should be considered on the chopping block until further notice. The Lakers need more size, athleticism, and off-ball play, things Reaves doesn't bring to the table. If GM Rob Pelinka can swing a trade and acquire a better and cheaper fit next to Doncic, it would be wise for him to aggressively pursue it.