Austin Reaves Declining $89 Million Lakers Offer Does Not Sit Well With Fans: “Next Dennis Schroder”

Austin Reaves has become an important part of the Los Angeles Lakers' roster and is part of their future alongside Luka Doncic.

Austin Reaves Declining $89 Million Lakers Offer Does Not Sit Well With Fans: “Next Dennis Schroder”

Austin Reaves declines $89 million extension (Image via FirstSportz)

As the Los Angeles Lakers head into the 2025-26 season, GM Rob Pelinka has a task on his hands trying to improve the team despite the non-existent cap space. He has to figure out how to enable Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves the best supporting cast before the offseason ends.

One of the first moves was to trade up and draft Arkansas wing Adou Thiero with the 36th overall pick. He does not address the need at center, but his defense and rim running will be vital in the future. Reaves and Doncic are not particularly great at defense. Hopefully, Thiero will compensate for that.

Any other moves will be either through trades or through free agency. However, before free agency opens, Pelinka has to work around the contracts of his three biggest stars. Luka Doncic is the least of those worries, as negotiations with him will start later.

Moreover, he has indicated that he wants to resign with the Lakers. The problems lie with LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The former has yet to decide what he will do with his player option that expires in a couple of days.

The latter, though, is facing the possibility of being part of a trade package for any potential star player. He is open to whatever happens, but also loves being a part of the Lakers. He was scheduled for a contract renegotiation.

However, as per The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Reaves has declined a 4-year, $89.2 million offer. He is about to start the third year of his existing deal and will hold a player option for the 2026-27 season. Essentially, this move gives him leverage.

Fans lose their minds after Austin Reaves declines extension

If Austin Reaves had accepted this extension, he would earn an average of $22.3 million over the next four seasons. By declining, he does hold the advantage, especially as he can ask for more next season. However, Los Angeles Lakers fans want to remind him of what happened to Dennis Schroder.

The German received a similar offer from the Lakers back in 2021. After he declined those offers, he went on to earn just $5.89 million with the Boston Celtics. Since then, he has earned what could have been his annual salary with the Lakers, split over the past two years.

Now he is a free agent and is usually the subject of trade packages. Fans believe Reaves is on a similar path after trying to inflate his value. They believe he is better off signing what has been offered instead of betting on himself. Check out examples of those reactions below.

There is a difference between the 27-year-old‘s situation and Dennis Schroder. The latter was entering free agency at the time and did not have the leverage Reaves has against the Lakers. Reaves is a valuable cog and could use his performances over the next 2 seasons to land a much larger contract.

Austin Reaves could sign mega $246M deal next summer

That leverage is something Dennis Schroder never had, but still went ahead with his plans to try and earn more. In Austin Reaves‘ situation, if he continues to grow at the rate he is and becomes an all-important piece for the Lakers, he could land three times the current offer.

Austin Reaves could develop into important piece alongside Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves could develop into important piece alongside Luka Doncic (Image via NBA/X)

As per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Arkansas native can command a 5-year $246.7 million contract next season. That will be 3 times the contract he is offered now, at an average of nearly $50 million. Some might believe that Reaves is not a $50 million player now.

However, at the rate salaries are going up in the league and the speed at which the undrafted star is developing, $50 million might be a bargain if he ends up becoming an important partner alongside Luka Doncic.

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