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Austin Reaves Says He Wants to 'Run It Back' With Lakers as Free Agency Looms

His public preference to stay raises pressure on Los Angeles to offer a large contract that will limit the team's salary flexibility for the offseason.

Overview

  • Reaves told TMZ Sports on Saturday that he wants to "run it back" with LeBron James and remain a Laker, signaling a clear preference as he enters free agency.
  • He is widely expected to decline his $14.9 million player option and become an unrestricted free agent, which would free him to sign a new deal or be part of a sign‑and‑trade.
  • Lakers president Rob Pelinka has said the organization wants to re-sign Reaves, and analysts report the team could offer contract shapes ranging from a four‑year, roughly $155 million deal to a five‑year, $241 million max that only the Lakers can tender.
  • League coverage highlights strong interest from other clubs — including Brooklyn, Chicago, Utah and Atlanta — while speculative blockbuster trade ideas using Reaves persist but face pushback from Luka Dončić and complex cap mechanics.
  • Reaves’s choice and the size of any new contract will directly affect Los Angeles’s ability to re-sign LeBron or add frontcourt and defensive help, making his decision a central driver of the Lakers’ offseason plan.