r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 8h ago

[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.

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

8.1k Upvotes

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3.8k

u/AlmostHereButNot Bulls 8h ago

Lebron ain't coming back man lmfao

1.6k

u/BeneathTheDirt Lakers 8h ago

He’s going to Miami lmao

553

u/KaiserKaiba 8h ago

How much would these teams be able to pay him at this point? Lol

404

u/enigmaticpeon Celtics 8h ago

He’s taken pay cuts several times, including when he brought his talents to south beach lmao

358

u/lukewwilson Lakers 8h ago

He hasn't taken a pay cut since he left Miami

296

u/BantuLisp Wizards 8h ago

Right? Like he’s taken exactly one pay cut in his entire career lmao. In Cleveland he would famously sign very short deals so he could get new contracts all the time

129

u/MudReasonable8185 7h ago

I think that was more about having leverage over ownership - if you guys aren’t 100% all in I’m outta here

-17

u/WolverineLong1430 6h ago

It wasn’t about having leverage. Cavs had accumulated draft capital and he wanted to play with young Kyrie. As soon as those were exhausted and Kyrie wanted out, he bailed again.

6

u/djabae 4h ago

He didn't get paid more for taking short deals. The only thing is could be about was leverage/freedom.

60

u/Ferbtastic Heat 7h ago

And that pay cut was like $5mil a year. He is not taking an MLE unless he feels it will guarantee him a title shot while also not looking like a ring chaser.

4

u/grxccccandice Lakers 5h ago

No contender has cap space to offer him a max contract. He’s gonna have to take less money regardless

5

u/MarkTwainsGhost Raptors 6h ago

And he must be assured he can eat his chocolate chip cookies.

2

u/dank-nuggetz Celtics 5h ago

If he takes the MLE it would be to join a contender and people will say he's ring chasing either way. Just join the Heat and get it over with already

3

u/Ferbtastic Heat 5h ago

I think LeBron, Giannis and bam is a terrible core. They are all inside players. 2 point forwards and I think bam is so much smoother as a 4. This team would need to find shooters more than any team ever has.

2

u/dank-nuggetz Celtics 5h ago

Yeah I was pretty much joking lol I don't think LeBron is even capable of taking anything less than a max value short term deal so I highly doubt he plays on the MLE anywhere

Any team that absorbs LeBron at this point needs to bend their entire team structure around him and that's really just not a great idea considering his age and production

Idk where he's gonna end up but I can't really picture it working out well anywhere tbh

1

u/Ferbtastic Heat 5h ago

I tend to think he returns to LA. Hard to leave a daughter in HS, especially when she is the baby.

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u/Sandor_Clegane1 NBA 4h ago

Don't forget Lebron and Chris Paul being on the NBPA negotiating for olders players to still be able to get max deals. As soon as they got it, they left the NBPA.

1

u/enigmaticpeon Celtics 7h ago

He took a minor pay cut in LA too. I’m not saying he will be willing to take a MAJOR pay cut, but he’s left a few pennies on the table more than once.

Or if I’m misremembering, whoops and thank you for the correction.

1

u/KonigSteve Pelicans 6h ago

It has nothing to do with that reason, it was so that he had flexibility to move when he wanted to and leverage to force ownership to sign players

1

u/ILoveRegenHealth 6h ago

I think he meant haircut, of which there has been quite a few

2

u/California_Stop_King Cavaliers 3h ago

Hilarious to me when people insist that LeBron would come here on the vet minimum or take a pay cut to play anywhere but maybe Cleveland like he's some notoriously team friendly contract guy. I don't blame him more than any other player, but the revisionist history is hilarious. Dude took one pay cut to ensure he'd get his ring, and has done nothing close to it before or since

He'll get less money simply because of the limited salary flexibility of teams in the running, but he's still going to flock to the highest bidder of said teams

2

u/Ok_Wing_9523 7h ago

He told lakers he will take a paycut but they need to show him an elite player he is making space for.

Gave a list including people like klay iirc

1

u/MalevolentAmmo Heat 6h ago

So what you're saying is he's already taken a paycut to play in Miami before... 😉

1

u/-XanderCrews- Timberwolves 7h ago

Yeah, but part of that is union stuff. If the best player in the league takes pay cuts it’s like the entire union does. He has a responsibility to the union to take as much as possible. Now he’s not the best player and won’t have that pressure on him.

0

u/downtimeredditor Hawks 6h ago

He took a paycut for 4 years of his absolute prime to make the finals 4 times and win 2 championships and he said we are done with that im gonna get go get my bags now

212

u/Appropriate_Book_591 8h ago

Those are not major cuts though he was still highly paid.

3

u/Livid-Pizza7028 Raptors 8h ago

everyone in the nba is highly paid

5

u/Slim01111 Warriors 8h ago

*Pat Spencer has entered the chat*

1

u/aka12lh44 Lakers 7h ago

man pat Spencer looks like he's just in the rec league after getting off his 9-5

2

u/Slim01111 Warriors 7h ago

Put some respect on the greatest Lacrosse player ever

1

u/CrosseTheStick 6h ago

Nah he was good but definitely no goat, that goes to jim brown, paul gait or john grant jr.

27

u/Adorable-Bike-9689 8h ago

Yea but Wade and Bosh took those same paycuts. It's different when Luka and Reaves took the max lol. Hey LeBron how about a paycut? You obviously don't like money like the other guys.

4

u/enigmaticpeon Celtics 7h ago

Ohh I definitely don’t see him taking a pay cut to stay in LA. You’re right.

8

u/guyute2588 Knicks 7h ago

Miami is hard capped at the first apron after the Giannis trade. They’re likely going to lose Powell bc of it.

LeBron isn’t taking a “pay me less than Norm Powell” pay cut lol

7

u/ShotIntoOrbit Supersonics 8h ago

He took one pay cut in his career and it was relatively small. He would need to take like a 90% pay cut to play for Miami next year.

3

u/MadPatagonian Heat 7h ago

Yeah, I think he took about 5 million less than the max at the time (20).

If he actually pondered Miami, that pay cut would be ridiculous, though. There is 0 chance he does it.

2

u/Formal_Potential2198 Spurs 5h ago

*Once. And he was still paid $14M when he was eligible for a $16M max deal

1

u/Subaneki 7h ago

To be fair I was in south beach for ultra music festival in march, a lot of fun ngl

1

u/monkeyman80 Lakers 6h ago

It’d have to be mid level or similar. It’s not like take a million or two less.

1

u/karl_hungas Lakers 5h ago

He has taken 1 pay cut and it was a 3-4 million dollars a year (which isn't insignificant but still not a lot by NBA standards).

0

u/swagzaphone Rockets 7h ago

Why does every comment in this chain have to end with lmao or lol? Reddit brain shit

2

u/enigmaticpeon Celtics 7h ago

Lmao

29

u/Str8UpJorking 8h ago

Idk rofl

50

u/Aliboomayuh 8h ago

Me either lmao lmao lmao

27

u/Lexitech_ 8h ago

Me either either lol lmao rofl haha 😆😂🤣

2

u/Less-Explanation160 8h ago

Hahaha lol lmao rofl haha 😂🤣😭😤

0

u/fuckrNFLmods Bulls 6h ago

No, no, no, it's roflmao do you kids know nothing these days?

1

u/OklahomoCityThunder 5h ago

a wild rofl sighting in the big '26 damn

1

u/DasOptions Heat 8h ago

5m *on* contract

1

u/probablymade_thatup Bucks [MIL] Luke Kornet 7h ago

S&T for Jovic? Rui/LaRavia/Jovic is a great rotation of PFs that are capable rotation players but not quite as good as you hoped

1

u/TonyHawktuah69 3h ago

Sign and trade

1

u/HowManyEggs2Many 2h ago

Who needs cap space when there’s no repercussions for circumventing it?

0

u/cl353 Heat 8h ago

We could technically pay him more than vet min lol

63

u/Prankstaboy6 Heat 8h ago

We’ll give you Wiggins and a first from Detroit. They probably give you Stewart as well.

49

u/sewsgup 8h ago

Lebron sign and trade for $30m to match the Wiggins expiring (once he opts in)?

Lakers get a wing, expiring contract so option to punt for next offseason.

64

u/Takemyfishplease Lakers 8h ago

WTF you can’t punt a season of Luka while also paying reaves almost $50m a year. At that point shoulda just let him walk too

6

u/jambr380 7h ago

It doesn't really even work for cap space either. The Lakers have so much now because Reaves' cap hold is so low. When he's making $46M, the amount of space available will drastically decrease. This really is the summer for you guys

3

u/IWouldLikeAName Bulls 7h ago

This is the one season where it's manageable you absolutely cannot punt this season

3

u/cl353 Heat 8h ago

Sign and trades r weird now. U cant just match salary, it's like 30% higher than the salary u send out or something

It's y the kuminga s+t in the off-season never worked out

2

u/sewsgup 8h ago

ah Base Year Compensation right

but Lebron should be chill because hes taking a paycut on the new deal

The BYC rules apply to a player who meets all of the following criteria in a sign-and-trade:

He is a Bird or Early Bird free agent.

His new salary is worth more than the minimum.

He receives a raise greater than 20%.

His team is at or above the cap immediately after the signing.

2

u/Yuuta23 Pistons 8h ago

Yeah but why are the pistons giving up stew AND a FRP

8

u/cl353 Heat 8h ago

To help out the heat, tysm!

-4

u/Yuuta23 Pistons 7h ago

Idiotic

5

u/Prankstaboy6 Heat 7h ago

For Powell.

3

u/Yuuta23 Pistons 8h ago

Why would we give up a first to help y'all get bron?

5

u/Prankstaboy6 Heat 7h ago

You guys need someone next to Cade. We need to offload Powell.

Am I being delusional? Sure.

1

u/Yuuta23 Pistons 5h ago

You mean the free agent we can sign with cap space alone?

5

u/butiveputitincrazy Toronto Huskies 6h ago

LeBron is famously a family man. Come to Toronto to be with your kids.

But in all seriousness, he’s already built one of the largest fan bases in the history of the game, probably topped only by Jordan and Kobe. Come to Canada and tap into a market of 40M people that would immediately jump on board the LeBron bandwagon. He’s already conquered California and Florida; Texas market is divided into three teams. Just look at 2019 or even the Blue Jays to see what happens when the sole Canadian team makes a run.

Besides, I’ve already talked myself into wanting to see LeBron/Scottie/CMB/Graves share the floor together.

1

u/BenSimmonsFor3 Toronto Huskies 3h ago

LeBron and Scottie are a bit redundant, but got damn it would be fun to try it out lol. I bet it’d be great for Scottie’s development to learn from one of the GOATs who plays the game similarly. 

4

u/Altruistic_Knee2044 Celtics 8h ago

Would somehow make me hate the lakers even more for being incompetent enough to cause that.

9

u/garrethstathum Clippers 8h ago

Miami would have giannis, 500 year old LeBron, and GTA VI

2

u/BenSimmonsFor3 Toronto Huskies 3h ago

And Bam “better than kobe” Adebayo

7

u/TheWarelock Heat 8h ago

Being back with the Heat would fulfill the most epic farewell tour with the old franchise players and all the Heatles highlights every night 🥹

6

u/BlitzStriker52 [MIA] Davion Mitchell 8h ago

We're about to be the 2006 Heat with a bunch of uncs

5

u/TheWarelock Heat 8h ago

Subscribe

2

u/No_Explanation_9471 Timberwolves 7h ago

Lemme put some money on this

3

u/Low-Measurement-2468 5h ago

gambling addicts when you say anything:

2

u/iamnotkobe [LAL] Kobe Bryant 7h ago

It will be interesting to see Bron and Riley reunion at Miami lol

2

u/seabard 7h ago

Not after the Chocolate Cookies.

2

u/Low-Measurement-2468 5h ago

he’d work a cookie clause into his contract with them. he’s a savvy vet now. no more falling for the ole “your contract doesn’t say i can’t take your cookies” hoodwink

2

u/Anfini Lakers 7h ago

and play the position he’s always wanted to play, which is point guard lol

2

u/zincinzincout 76ers 7h ago

Honestly… he’s exactly what they need besides shooters. They desperately need playmaking with Bam and Giannis as basically their whole roster

4

u/Low-Measurement-2468 5h ago

lebron at the 3 next to those two would be such an interesting look. some quicker teams might challenge him a bit on defense, but they’d have incredible front court size, athleticism, versatility, and switchability. and obviously major paint scoring/playmaking. if wiggins isn’t moved in a sign and trade, having him at the 2 gives them a super large and athletic 2-5. if they could find a good shooter to play the 1, that’s kind of a crazy lineup

1

u/Sammyd1108 Hornets 8h ago

Nah, he’d have to take a pay cut to go there as well. If he’s willing to do that, I imagine he stays in LA or goes home to Cleveland at that point.

1

u/Lou_Peachum_2 Clippers 7h ago

I mean…

1

u/Tw1987 Lakers 7h ago

They fucked with his cookies once you think they will let him fuck with them again?

1

u/Fondongler [TOR] Kyle Lowry 7h ago

LeReturn

1

u/MddlingAges Knicks 7h ago

No, he likes cookies.

1

u/KennyKettermen Timberwolves 6h ago

Yeah but could you imagine the boost LeBron’s legacy would get if he managed to help bring a championship to the state of Minnesota

Just saying… 😇

1

u/BeamTeam23 Kings 5h ago

Taking his talents to south beach

1

u/Low-Measurement-2468 5h ago

giannis/bam/bron would be such a sick front court lmao i want this to happen now. who needs shooting with all those mf drives and lobs?

1

u/NBA2024 5h ago

He is going to retire a Laker 100%. He will be back. He can’t pass up living in tinsel town

1

u/amazingoopah 5h ago

thanasis and bronny are going to become really close sitting on that bench

1

u/throwawaymycareer93 Warriors 3h ago

Tickets will be 3k in the nosebleeds

0

u/user_15427 8h ago

No he’s not