NBA Salary Cap Expert Cautions Teams on Austin Reaves Contract

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is expected to turn down his $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season and become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, where he is expected to seek out a max contract on the open market.

Coming off a successful five-year run with the Lakers, including averaging 23.3 points this past season in 51 games, the 28-year-old Reaves is one of the top free agents in a mostly weak free-agent market, meaning he is likely going to get overpaid by someone this summer.

But according to one prominent NBA insider, teams should be cautious about giving Reaves the max contract he covets.

Bobby Marks Cautions Teams About Giving Austin Reaves Max Money

Should Reaves turn down his player option for 2026-27 as expected, he will hit the free-agent market with the hopes of securing a max contract for roughly five years, $239 million with the Lakers, or roughly four years, $177 million with any other team. But Marks believes teams should be very careful about extending an offer of that magnitude.

Speaking in a recent interview on "Hoops Talk with Allen Sliwa," Marks -- ESPN's longtime salary cap expert and a former member of the Brooklyn Nets' front office -- explained why he does not believe the Lakers, or any other team, should give Reaves the max money he wants.

I personally do not believe he is a max player."

"I personally do not believe he is a max player," Marks said.

"For me to do a five-year, $239 contract, that's a big number, man. I mean, you're locked in, because it's not really about this year, it's about next year, okay? So when we get to next year, the summer of '27, we've got him and Luka (Doncic) making, I don't know, $100 million, for example. Okay, what are the other pieces, right? Like, what are your other pieces that you're going to be able to surround (them with)?

"Maybe you found them this summer and everything like that, but it's an interesting dance because I think there was such a stretch of games prior to Christmas, where you're saying, 'This guy's an All-Star.' Like, this guy is a high-level player, and then we get some injuries and we get some other things, and he certainly didn't finish (the season) how he wanted to.

"If on July 1 we hear that he signed for $239, I would understand why. I think we would have to see what else was out there from an offer standpoint here. But I do think you can't get cute based on where the market is now because I think it can change pretty quickly."

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Who Will Sign Austin Reaves?

The Lakers have to be considered the frontrunners to sign Reaves at this point since he's played there his entire career, he fits in well with Doncic in the Lakers' backcourt, and they can offer him the most money.

Related: LeBron James Reportedly Felt Taken for Granted by Lakers After Rob Pelinka Decision

But if the Lakers don't think he's worth the max contract of five years and $239 million, Reaves might walk and go to another team.

If that's the case, then the two teams that can give Reaves the max deal he wants when free agency opens are the Nets and the Chicago Bulls.

Both teams have tons of cap space available, and both teams could use a stud shooter like Reaves. But they are both in the rebuilding stage, so would they want to use that much cap space on Reaves, and would Reaves even want to go play for a non-contender?

Otherwise, there are teams like the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks that could also use Reaves' services. These teams don't presently have the cap space to sign him outright to a max deal, but they could move other players in trades to make the money available to give Reaves what he wants.

Although Marks is likely right in that when you see Reaves play, you know he's a very good player, but not an elite one that should command a max contract, ultimately, the market is what determines the number.

If there are teams out there that think Reaves is worth the max, then he'll get it, though he may never end up living to the lofty high of being one of the NBA's highest-paid players.

And if that's the case, then Marks will be sure to remind them that he told them so.

Related: Austin Reaves Expected to Receive $178 Million Offer in Free Agency

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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 11:06 AM.