Austin Reaves showed up to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ annual media day on Monday sporting a headband and sounding happy and excited about the coming season. But there is some uncertainty lurking when it comes to his future with the team.
A few months ago, he rejected a contract extension offer the Lakers made that would’ve paid him $89.2 million over four years. He’s expected to opt out of his current contract next summer in order to become a free agent.
Advertisement
There is plenty of speculation about what Reaves’ future could hold. Some believe he will leave the team to accept a bigger offer elsewhere, while others think he could be traded. But he said on Monday that he wants to remain with the Lakers for the rest of his career.
“It’s super hard,” Reaves said in an interview with ESPN LA. “If you would have told me even three years ago that I was going to have the opportunity to make that money, then I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. But it’s a business at the end of the day. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be in LA. I want to be in LA for my whole career and hopefully we can make that happen.”
Obviously, the Lakers want Reaves to stay put. He averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists a game last season, and those numbers were even higher after Luka Doncic’s arrival in early February.
The undrafted guard reportedly worked on shooting and attacking off the catch this summer in anticipation of playing off the ball more than he did in the past. Some believe he will take yet another step forward in his production this season, which could possibly raise the contract offers he will receive next summer.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Austin Reaves says he wants to stay with Lakers for his whole career