The upcoming season is going to be beyond pivotal for Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not only does Reaves want to help his team win, but he also wants to show his value so he can get a major new deal in the summer.
Writing for NBC Sports, Kurt Helin said that Reaves will most certainly become a free agent next summer, and he wants a deal similar to that of Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat, who is pulling in $30 million a year.
“Reaves will be a free agent. There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in the Tyler Herro range of $30 million a year (and Herro is a good comp in a lot of ways),” Helin wrote, via NBACentral.
Austin Reaves reportedly wants a contract worth the same as Tyler Herro’s, per @basketballtalk
“Reaves will be a free agent. There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in… pic.twitter.com/MVEM8Tlklw
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 13, 2025
When the Lakers gave Reaves his last deal, everyone agreed that they got him as a steal.
In 2025-26, he is owed just under $14 million.
Following that, he has a player option and is in control of his fate.
He could accept the $14,898,786 that will be offered by the Lakers, or he could try his hand at free agency and see what other teams have to give.
Is a deal like Herro’s out there waiting for him?
It may be, and it might come from his current team.
If Reaves plays well in the upcoming season, the Lakers would leap at the chance to keep him and would offer him $30 million annually, or even more.
But if he has more problems in the playoffs, they might not be eager to sign him, and Reaves may have to look around the league for a healthier contract.
Reaves loves playing in LA, and the Lakers cherish him, so both sides could work out a package that makes everyone happy.
However, that all depends on how the upcoming season goes and what Reaves does on the court.
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