No one- absolutely no one- saw this coming. For months, Austin Reaves has been hyped as one of the future faces of the LakeShow. When he was balling and clutching at the Crypto.com Arena, the fans thought they had their Pete Maravich in 2025. But recent developments have swept all of the hype under a rug, never to be seen again. It seems like their saviour in a sweatband might be on his way out.
“The Lakers can offer Reaves a four-year, $89.2 million contract, which would be an upgrade from his current four-year, $53 million contract,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Ricardo Sandoval. “L.A. would love for him to sign; however, the expectation is he will decline that and opt out of his current contract after next season.” It’s not clear how much Reaves would be demanding right now, but the numbers won’t be small. And we all know Rob Pelinka- he’s a real stickler.
AR failed to prove himself in the playoffs. He was averaging a solid 20.2/4.5/5.8 with 1.1 steals, shooting 46% from the field and 37.7% from deep in the regular season. But the playoffs were a whole different story. He went down to 16.2/5.4/3.6 assists while shooting 41.1% from the field and 31.9% from deep. The Lakers GM has made it clear after that- Reaves is loved, but not untouchable. With what he’s demanding, and the other deals Pelinka has in place, it could mark the beginning of the end for Austin Reaves at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The bigger deal in place is regarding Luka Doncic‘s contract extension. The Slovenian will be eligible for an extension worth up to $229 million over four years. He could sign a three-year agreement with a player option for the third year, followed by a supermax extension in 2028. With that deal expected to go through, Reaves’ demands will never be met by Pelinka. Instead, he’d use that capital for parts on the court the Lakers have been struggling with.
If you close your eyes and listen intently, you could hear the cries of the Lakers fans. “Need better defense,” they say. And you’d ought to have been hearing this since Anthony Davis left the LakeShow. If Austin Reaves is out, it gives Pelinka the chance to bring in a much needed center.
Rob Pelinka to eye for a center in case of Austin Reaves rejection
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what’s apparent. The Lakers have been unable to replace Davis at the heart of their defense. And the outcome? They dropped from the joint-2nd best defensive rating in February (107.2) to the joint-10th in March (116.6). JJ Redick and Co. had the same fate in the playoffs too- after seeing themselves lose lead after lead against the Timberwolves. They need a center- and then they can talk championships.
So, who could be a viable option for the LA GM? According to Athletic’s senior NBA reporter Jovan Buha, the top of that list is Nicolas Claxton. The 6’11 Nets center is currently on a 4 year, $97,000,000 free agent contract with Brooklyn. Reaves on the other hand, signed a 4 year, $53,827,872 free agent contract in 2023, which could be seen as a way to free out capital for more defensive depth. Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks is second in line.
UPDATE: Nicolas Claxton is the “best” option for the Lakers among realistic center targets this offseason, per @jovanbuha of @TheAthletic. Daniel Gafford is seen as the runner-up. Jovan also added he doesn’t expect Walker Kessler or Jalen Duren to be available. pic.twitter.com/mfVdT3TpHP
— Lakers Better (@LakersBetter) May 9, 2025
It’s just May- so the Austin Reaves saga will go on for a bit. It’s gonna be another classic Showtime deal- so keep your popcorn ready. In case Luka Doncic signs and Reaves goes, will Nicolas Claxton be the best possible option for the Lakers?
The post Lakers Rumors: Luka Doncic Decision Spells Trouble for Austin Reaves as Rob Pelinka’s Center Targets Confirmed appeared first on EssentiallySports.