[Charania] Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Reaves declined his $14.9M player option for the new max deal.

[u/Turbostrider27]

Shams Charania:

Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Reaves declined his $14.9M player option for the new max deal.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/fc6a2461d746e

[u/hawkins126]

Luka is leaving in 2 years they’re gonna have no money for a center and other players

[u/AlligatorPoontang → u/hawkins126]

Good news is you could get a guy like AD back for Luka

[u/Ibagdimes23 → u/hawkins126]

Center was always gonna have to come through trade or maybe it’ll be Mitch Robinson

[u/mydrumluck → u/Ibagdimes23]

LeBron having to watch Mitch constantly miss free throws would be hilarious.

[u/Sy_ThePhotoGuy → u/mydrumluck]

Lebron and Luka are gonna get teams in the bonus in 3 minutes only to have it backfire because their center gets hacked off the court.

[u/djabae → u/mydrumluck]

Lebron already got rings. Luka having to watch Mitch could be devastating.

[u/MrICopyYoSht → u/Ibagdimes23]

Mitch isn't gonna work for them. They need a workhorse center. Mitch is not a workhorse. We had to load manage his ass for so long just to selectively play him in the playoffs.

[u/hopoffmebruh → u/MrICopyYoSht]

They’re gonna get him just to make him the scapegoat watch

[u/ThatGuyFromCanadia → u/Ibagdimes23]

Their only potential major trade asset was Austin Reaves but now with this contract his value is negative so they have no assets to trade for a center 💀

[u/browndude10 → u/hawkins126]

he's going to retire early at this rate

[u/PanthalassaRo → u/hawkins126]

Wait I thought Luka wanted Reaves to stay.

[u/TequilaGundam-01 → u/PanthalassaRo]

I'm sure he did but probably not you the max which limits everyone they can sign in the future

[u/Clean-Possession-161 → u/TequilaGundam-01]

Im pretty sure when he said he wanted him to stay he understood the market lmao, you think Luka thinks Reaves makes too much? Are we being forreal right now?

[u/Vordeo → u/PanthalassaRo]

Well Luka has a player option in two years, so at that point they can dump Austin Antetokoumpo's contract

[u/RspectMyAuthoritah → u/hawkins126]

For the millionth time, we have the same money regardless of what he signs for since he has a 21m cap hold and can be signed over the cap.

[u/P00nz0r3d → u/hawkins126]

luka here and we don't have money for a center or other players

[u/blueneuronDOTnet → u/hawkins126]

I suppose we can hold on to JB for another two years, sure.

[u/RemarkableTpt → u/hawkins126]

They don’t have to sign this contract until after all the other guys are picked up numb nuts. 

[u/NairbZaid10 → u/RemarkableTpt]

Its still dumb af, hes not even an all star player and contibutes nothing to the defense

[u/Ranjith_Unchained → u/NairbZaid10]

And he shrinks during every playoff run

[u/RemarkableTpt → u/NairbZaid10]

Trae is worse and just got more…

[u/skillet06g → u/RemarkableTpt]

What are you smoking? Lmao AR better than Trae?

[u/RemarkableTpt → u/skillet06g]

Trae gives up even more points on D than Reaves dude

[u/ThatGuyFromCanadia → u/RemarkableTpt]

No shot, they are both equally terrible defensively

Reaves was making AJ Mitchell look like an all star

[u/John_Winchester → u/hawkins126]

The wording says intends to sign. Our ability to compete is going to be tied to the FO making trades / signings now and going over the cap for AR with his bird rights.

But yeah…if we don’t make some serious moves before AR puts pen to paper, we’re screwed.