Austin Reaves just gambled on himself with $90M still on the table

A nearly $90 million payday still wasn't lucrative enough for Austin Reaves.

The Athletic's Dan Woike reported on Thursday that earlier this week Reaves, a former Oklahoma Sooners guard, declined a max contract extension offer from the Los Angeles that was worth $89.2 million over four years. The contract was the largest offer the Lakers can give Reaves this offseason based on years and dollars, but Reaves still wants to hold out for a bigger contract in the future.

Austin Reaves reportedly turns down max offer from Lakers

Reaves is still expected to play for the Lakers next season while on Year 3 of his current four-year contract, which he signed in 2023 and is worth $54 million. But after a career-best season, Reaves is betting on himself that he can attract even greater offers next summer as a free agent if he declines his player option next year.

An undrafted free agent, Reaves reached a new level this past season in his fourth year in the NBA. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points a game and shot an impressive 46% from the field.

Reaves' name has recently come up in trade rumors, but the Lakers offer reveals they might actually want to keep him in L.A. And Reaves, who grew up a Lakers fan, also has no desire to leave the West Coast despite rejecting the Lakers' recent offer. Reaves is just looking for a better paycheck in the future.

"I want to play my whole career in LA," Reaves told a local TV station this summer. "I love it there. I love the fans. Love the weather, love the golf. And obviously the Lakers is the best organization in basketball. I don’t pay attention to (trade rumors). I keep my head down, work, and I feel like that’s one of the reasons I’m where I’m at.”

However, the Lakers could start shopping Reaves again after he declined their extension offer. That's a lot of money to hand out next year with All-Stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic also on the roster.

Reaves was at OU for three years after transferring from Wichita State. He then went undrafted in 2021 and signed a two-way contract with the Lakers. He then signed a standard contract and immediately became part of the Lakers' rotation as a rookie. He started all 73 games he appeared in last season.

Reaves is one of four former Sooners on an NBA roster, with point guard Jeremiah Fears just joining that group after getting picked seventh overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

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