Austin Reaves has been back for three games, and unfortunately, in all of them, the Los Angeles Lakers have failed to breach 100 points. In the last two games as a starter, he had 30 shots but only scored 23 points. Thus, the Purple and Gold fans are worried, and netizens stated how the current playoff performance could ultimately hamper his contract situation.
Austin Reaves struggled mightily against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. In 36 minutes, he could add just 8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. The concerns about his performance were raised as he also coughed the ball 4 times and had 3-16 FG, 0-5 3PT. The 27-year-old won’t technically become a free agent at the end of the season. But he is available for a max contract. He is currently playing on a four-year, $53 million deal, but after a strong regular season, he is in line for a major raise.
According to BR, the Lakers could offer Reaves $239.3 million over five years this summer. League sources widely expect him to decline his $14.9 million player option for the 2026–27 season. AR has already declined a 4-year, $90 million extension offer from the Lakers in June 2025. So, he is setting his worth to be more, but the current performance could cut some dollars. The Lakers need more from him. It’s understandable he’s not at 100%, considering he is just coming back from his Grade 2 oblique strain, but he has struggled against OKC and in the playoffs before.
BR had another report where they suggested that other teams can offer only $179 million-4 year contract. Paying a penny over would be a bad financial decision. This recent report and AR’s performance against OKC in Game 1, as the fans are convinced that the star’s next contract won’t be as big as previously predicted.
Fans question if Austin Reaves is worth big bucks
“Austin might’ve cost himself millions today”, a comment resonated with many. After all, his performance ended up being on the wrong side of history. Austin Reaves just had the lowest FG% by a Laker in a playoff game this century (min 15 FGA). Similar comments regarding the performance spread like wildfire.
Austin might’ve cost himself millions today
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 6, 2026
“Force shot looking for foul not for a shot.. better JJ reddick give some minutes to other player..bronny,theiro,dalton, smith jr,” was another comment urging coach JJ Redick to use his bench players. Austin Reaves performance was also disappointing, because the Lakers also lost Jarred Vanderbilt to an injury. Despite this, the Lakers had only eight players who logged at least 10 minutes. In comparison, the Thunder had 10 players play more than 10 minutes. OKC’s bench outscored the Lakers’ bench 34-15.
There could be a reason why AR failed to perform tonight. A fan pointed, “He literally just came back from being injured.” That being true, Reaves also got injured not even 4 minutes into the game; he was holding his right knee. With just the third game back after being out for close to a month, maybe the expectations should be limited. Or maybe it’s down to his performance.
Another fan suggested that Rich Paul was right in suggesting to trade away Austin Reaves. “Such a winnable game too… killing momentum ugh. Rich Paul got killed for being right about him smh.” According to Paul, if the Lakers want to maximize their championship window with Luka, they have to be willing to part with their most beloved role player to land a defensive titan like Jaren Jackson Jr. Before his injury, the Jazz forward averaged 19.4 points and was an effective point of attack defender, something that Austin Reaves clearly lacks.
Similarly, netizens slammed the continuous poor outings in the postseason from AR. “He’s not a playoff player; he’s always struggled in the playoffs.” With Luka Doncic still sidelined, AR will need to lift the offensive weight on his shoulder, even if he is not 100%. Tonight again, LeBron James had a game-high 27 points, which doesn’t bode well for Reaves, who is eyeing a massive pay upgrade.
