Austin Reaves has a tough decision ahead of him, but according to some NBA legends, the toughest choice may not be his to make. While he proved his worth in a Lakers uniform, his future with the franchise is far from guaranteed. With his contract set to expire and a colossal payday waiting in free agency, NBA legends believe that the Lakers’ front office, led by Rob Pelinka, may be forced to let their “golden white boy” walk.
Former NBA player Robert Horry, along with his co-hosts and ‘All The Smoke’ fame Matt Barnes, touched upon Austin Reaves’ future free agency recently. Calling himself a fan of the Lakers star, Barnes said that Reaves is right now a piece on an expiring contract. The Lakers certainly got more or less their money’s worth when they gave him a 4-year, $53.8 million contract. Now, Reaves himself might want to know his worth outside of the Lakers since, as Barnes highlighted, “I know the other teams can give him a lot more than the Lakers can”.
Well, surely Rob Pelinka will do his best to match up any potential offers or make a compelling case to have Reaves stay, right? Well, that most likely won’t happen. After all, as Barnes added, “I don’t think, you know, Bob is or, excuse me, Rob is going to turn over every stone, and really be aggressive, you know, trying to make, you know, bring this together, because I think he knows he’s on the clock, and we know LeBron is on the clock”.
In light of this, teams will jump at the chance to get the ‘golden white boy’.
“To me, it’s like I’m floating him out there. Just because he’s, you know, he’s going to demand a lot of money and people going to get, oh, we got to get the golden white boy, you know, out there,” said Robert Lorry. Matt Barnes agreed and added, “Hey, to be a Golden White boy is a killer attribute in our league, boys. So, he’s going to get, I feel like he can get a lot of money somewhere else that probably may not be on a winning type team, but he can get north, I think, of 160-180. You know, they, the max, I think he get is like 240 or something. I don’t know if it’ll get that high”.
Jan 13, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts to being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
When the other hosts of the ‘Big Shot Bob’ podcast highlighted that Reaves could get $215 million offers from other teams, Barnes supported that by adding, “Hey, go get that 215 cuz I think like, you know, someone might be, you know, and this not a knock. Someone may give that to him, you know?”
We knew that LeBron James’ tenure with the Lakers would be short now, even if he chooses not to go to another team before retirement. However, will Rob Pelinka retire soon, too? Well, NBA fans might remember that, back in June, the Los Angeles Lakers were sold to billionaire Mark Walter. With Jeanie Buss continuing to be an important part of the Lakers’ front office, Pelinka’s job is safe as long as she’s there.
However, sooner or later, Walter will be looking for a change, as he would in many cases. While Pelinka did the impossible and acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, he also made a few blunders, like the Russell Westbrook trade, the hiring and then firing of Darvin Ham, and failing to bring back Alex Caruso. Better candidates for President of Basketball Operations are present around the US, putting Pelinka certainly “on the clock”.
If Rob Pelinka is removed within the year, then there is no guarantee that the new General Manager/President of Basketball Operations will fight for Reaves. Therefore, why take the risk when other teams would willingly approach the shooting guard? Then again, if recent reports are to be believed, someone in the front office might still be fighting.
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are reportedly prioritized over LeBron James
A few days ago, the ‘Third Apron’ reporter Yossi Gozlan published a report. Through it, the reporter claims that “The Lakers are more or less married to their current roster for the next two years, with the biggest factor being LeBron James. They could bring him back on a one-year maximum-level contract in 2026-27 as they wait out their cap space plans. But Doncic and Reaves are the two priorities in their quest for a star.”
Once LeBron James retires, the need will be for another big name that could assist Luka Doncic on the offensive front and help bring the Lakers back to championship contention. Both Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are in a position to decline their player options for 2027-28 and enter unrestricted free agency. If that happens, the Lakers will need maximum cap room. Austin Reaves can help with that.
“The fascinating aspect of the 2026 cap space possibility is that the Lakers could use Reaves’s small $26.5 million cap hold as a placeholder to maximize their space, then go over the cap to re-sign him,” Gozlan wrote. “That won’t be the case for 2027 since he’ll already be re-signed. That makes projecting 2027 cap space tricky since it requires an estimate for his salary.”
Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) react after a basket against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
This move guarantees that Reaves holds a spot on the roster. That is, if he wishes to hold onto one. In the end, only time will tell what decision Reaves takes.
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