Rob Pelinka was confident about Austin Reaves when he sat before the media in May. The Los Angeles Lakers‘ general manager said his 28-year-old undrafted star began his journey as a Laker, and that Reaves made it clear he wants to continue it as is. “We feel the same way,” Pelinka blurted before anyone said a word. But by the end of June, he turns into an unrestricted free agent. And an insider confirms the Lakers will have company as they extend their own offer.

“Multiple front-office sources around the league, granted anonymity to freely discuss an opposing player, expect Reaves to have interest from the Brooklyn Nets, with a four-year, $178.5 million contract expected to be offered,” according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. “League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge.”

Expect Reaves to be at the top of the negotiation list, if there is one. And that should be enough to rattle LA’s front office. The Nets are likely going to offer the guard the maximum contract they can. That would average around $44.6 million per season, a huge jump from his current salary of $13 million per year. Teams like the Hawks will give him a chance to feature with Trae Young in a long-term rebuild, while the Pistons reel from their tough playoff exit.

Now, the Lakers and Reaves have an exclusive negotiating period between their season ending and free agency beginning on June 30. Only during this window can the front office start negotiations with him, which they likely will. Until then, LA has a cap break, with only $20.9 million counting against the books. Because of that, they can play the waiting game. Once their offseason checklist is complete, they can officially sign Reaves, thus preserving flexibility.

The present task in LA’s hands is to cater to the urgent needs of the wing and the rim. They need a floor general when Luka Doncic is out. Los Angeles doesn’t have clarity on its LeBron James situation yet. A suitable big man would do wonders, because clearly, Deandre Ayton didn’t live up to the hype. Head coach JJ Redick was seen throwing tantrums on the sideline multiple times in the past season. Meanwhile, the Lakers need to worry about their defensive struggles.

They finished the 2025-26 NBA regular season with a defensive rating of 115.5, ranking 20th. Reaves had a defensive rating of 117.8, while Luka Doncic had 113.6. So, that’s one thing the Lakers have to deal with moving forward. But despite their struggles, Reaves was one of the strongest voices in the Lakers’ locker room this past season, according to one of the team’s sources. The sentiment around the league is mixed at the time, though.

“Provided the Lakers address other needs on the wing and at the rim, defensive concerns about a Doncic-and-Reaves pairing are overstated, one team source said,” according to Woike.

“You can’t let a talent like that walk,” one Western Conference executive said. “That would be a disaster.”

Woike’s report also accounts for the financial realities that most teams currently face.

“League sources said teams are approaching free agency with increased caution because of the restrictions tied to the league’s first and second tax aprons, potentially leading to more conservative spending than in previous summers,” the report read.

Let’s be realistic here. Reaves has a genuinely good life in LA. He is representing the team that his idol, Kobe Bryant, once led. He shares a “real” relationship with Doncic, James, and Redick. There’s mutual respect in the LA locker room. Beyond the court, Reaves loves to drive down the 405 South to his country club for golf on off days. So, why should he give all this up? Let’s further analyze that money aspect that could change things.

The Lakers’ situation with Austin Reaves is slightly more complicated than you can imagine

Since Austin Reaves went undrafted in 2021, the Lakers could only offer him a four-year, $89.2 million deal last summer. But he declined it. That was a huge risk. But in this case, Reaves went on to play the best season of his career, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. His pairing with Luka Doncic gave LA a dominant 81.8% win percentage when he led the team. Now, he is eligible to sign a max contract worth $241 million over five years.

The Lakers also can’t afford to play hardball with Reaves. If no other teams wanted him, Rob Pelinka would’ve been able to negotiate a cheaper deal and save a few bucks to spend on filling other roster gaps. But now there is attractive competition. So, if LA gets too stingy and tries to squeeze every last dollar out of the negotiations, another team could step in with a richer contract. And in that case, Reaves would most likely opt for the better and bigger deal.

Take Jalen Brunson as the blueprint that the rest of the league should admire. After all, the New York Knicks guard passed on more than $113 million in 2024, choosing a four-year, $156 million extension over a five-year, $269 million max deal. As a result, New York gained flexibility to strengthen the roster, and the reward is showing with a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The selfless approach sounds inspirational. But pulling that off in Los Angeles is far tougher.

So the Lakers have three major hurdles between them and Austin Reaves. Sure, they’d want to keep their star to maintain balance on the team, but is that worth it?