Austin Reaves is proving he’s much more than a role player in Los Angeles.
The undrafted guard has exploded into stardom this season, averaging 34.2 points, 10 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game while keeping the Lakers alive without LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the lineup.
“He’s always been a very good player, but now he’s in a role where he can have the ball and generate a lot of offense,” one Western Conference executive told ESPN. “Someone is going to pay him a lot of money next summer.”
Reaves’ breakout has sent his value soaring, with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reporting that “the belief around the league is that 30 million dollars per year is the absolute baseline for Reaves’ services. (There are currently 59 NBA players making at least that much.) Another executive theorized that with Reaves being able to get as much as four years and roughly 180 million dollars from another team in free agency, that a five-year deal for more total dollars could be a good compromise to get a deal done to keep Reaves in L.A.”
Another executive said, “I don’t think he’s going to quite keep up this pace because LeBron will take away touches. But he is good and the Lakers intend to keep him and he intends to stay, so my guess is it gets done.”
NBA legend Kevin Garnett even weighed in on social media during Reaves’ recent hot streak, posting that “Austin Reaves may be eyeing No. 1 role somewhere in the NBA.” The fifth-year guard’s response was through his play, scoring 28 points and hitting a buzzer-beater against Minnesota while tying his career-high with 16 assists.
Shidddd…. Idk, Austin Reaves might be auditioning for a number 1 spot somewhere in his mind. Check the history without Luka and Bron. Let’s see…
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) October 30, 2025
Reaves declined a potential four-year, $89 million extension this past offseason, and that gamble is paying off. Still, all signs point to mutual interest in a long-term future with the Lakers. As Bontemps put it, Reaves and the franchise “intend to stay together,” a promising outlook for a team suddenly powered by one of the league’s most unlikely stars.
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