Lakers Insider Drops Telling Hint About Austin Reaves’ Long-Term Future

Despite criticism of the Doncic-Reaves pairing, the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly view one major concern very differently.

Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) react during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As the NBA offseason officially gets underway, the debate rages on for Los Angeles Lakers fans on whether the team should award rising star Austin Reaves with a max contract that would pay him $241 million over five years.

One of the major concerns for the Lakers to go all in on a Reaves and Luka Doncic backcourt is how it will impact the defensive end of the basketball floor, with both guards being talented scorers but not exactly the best defenders.

Lakers’ Backcourt Defensive Concerns ‘Overstated’

May 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) sits on the bench during a time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

However, it appears the Lakers brass aren’t overly concerned about the Doncic-Reaves duo's defensive shortcomings. 

Apparently, the team simply wants the “best-fitting teammates” around Doncic, and Reaves fits the bill, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.

Internally, there’s a strong desire to give Dončić the best-fitting teammates. … Provided the Lakers address other needs on the wing and at the rim, defensive concerns about a Dončić-and-Reaves pairing are overstated, one team source said. Reaves was also one of the most important voices inside the Lakers’ locker room a season ago, his leadership developing year over year.

At this point, it seems like a foregone conclusion that once Reaves opts out of the last year of his current deal, it won’t take long before he inks a lucrative long-term deal with the Lakers.

The real question moving forward is whether that contract will be for the maximum amount. Reaves will have his options in NBA free agency, with teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons rumored to be interested in his services, but due to the Lakers having his Bird rights, those teams can only offer four years while Los Angeles can offer five.

The bigger concern for the Lakers might be the decisions needing to be made on the team’s other free agents, like LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes. 

Along with those notable names, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart need to decide whether they’ll opt out of the final year of their contracts. They’ll have until June 29 to make that decision, and it’s still uncertain what either player will do.

It’s going to be an interesting few weeks for the Lakers, to say the least, with some potentially drastic changes on the horizon. The team's roster could look much different to start the 2026-27 NBA season.

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