Austin Reaves Next Team Prediction & Projected Contract

Austin Reaves heads into this NBA offseason as one of the most coveted free agents on the market, seeking the biggest payday of his career.

The journey to this moment has been anything but conventional. Reaves went undrafted out of college in 2021, clinging to a roster spot with the Los Angeles Lakers before gradually ascending to become the team’s second option alongside Luka Dončić.

Reaves has averaged over 20 points per game for two straight seasons while dishing five-plus assists for the last three years. Now 28, Reaves is hitting free agency at the peak of his powers.

Will Reaves test the open market, or is he staying in Los Angeles?

Austin Reaves Next Team Odds & Favorites

The BetMGM online sportsbook doesn’t have a market for Reaves’ next team, but the Lakers deserve to be the favorites to bring him back. The Lakers and Reaves have said all the right things publicly ever since he turned down a four-year, $87.4 million extension last offseason.

In an exclusive interview with ESPN last November, Reaves admitted that he wants to be in Los Angeles. And he’s not looking for a gigantic number after turning down the extension. The Lakers have continuously claimed that retaining Reaves is a priority. Doncic has told insiders that he wants to play alongside Reaves.

Fortunately for all parties, the Lakers can offer Reaves more money than any other team. The Lakers can pay him up to $41.3 million in base salary and up to $239.3 million in total salary. The most another team can offer is four years for $177.4 million.

Per Stephen Noh’s NBA Salary Model, Reaves had a projected value of $29 million last year and will be worth more than $31 million for the next five years.

If the Lakers don’t pay up for Reaves, these are the teams I’d monitor in the market:

• Pistons
• Jazz
• Nets
• Bulls

Austin Reaves Next Team Prediction

Given the way the market is set up, I’d be surprised if Reaves left Los Angeles this summer. A reunion with the Lakers on roughly a $35 million salary keeps everyone happy.

Reaves continues to find a way to take his game to another level each season. In 2025-26, Reaves averaged a career-best 23.3 points on 49% shooting. He was likely on his way to his first All-Star nod before suffering a calf injury.

Despite what skeptics might say, Reaves is an ideal guard alongside Dončić, just as he worked well with Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson in Dallas. Dončić needs a secondary playmaker alongside him to help punish double teams.

According to Databallr, the Lakers posted a net rating of +11.6 in the 988 minutes that Reaves and Dončić shared the court this year. They were +1 with just Dončić and -0.2 with just Reaves.

Of course, there are defensive limitations to a lineup featuring Reaves and Doncic, but I think that’s a bit overblown. Los Angeles could help both players by surrounding the duo with a legitimate rim protector and at least one on-ball defender.

The only path for Reaves to leave Los Angeles is if the Lakers work out a sign-and-trade to prioritize a center. A deal involving Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren could make sense for both teams.

Still, I’m expecting Reaves to remain in purple and gold.

Austin Reaves’ Next Team Prediction: Lakers