Zach Lowe predicts that Austin Reaves will resign with the Lakers, but he could still be traded

While Los Angeles The future of the Lakers Austin Reaves with the team remains uncertain, NBA analyst Zach Lowe predicts he will re-sign, but does not rule out a trade in the near future. Reaves’ 2026-27 option is worth $14.8 million, which Lowe expects to be voided by an extension with the Lakers this offseason.

Reaves’ extension with the Lakers could, however lead to tradepredicted Lowe, according to The Zach Love Show.

“People are going to put fake trades of Austin Reaves in the trade machine until February 5th. I bet the Lakers would keep him. I think here’s my bet on Austin Reaves,” Lowe said. “They’re keeping him. They’re re-signing him in the summer. I’ll be even more specific than that. I’d bet he needs a little less than the max to stay in L.A., though I think he could get most other places. That’s just my kind of six-month prediction for how this could work itself out.”

How the Lakers will be heading into the 2025-26 season should help them determine if Reaves can be a candidate for Luka Doncic in the future.

“Then, you make a decision for the Lakers. Is it Reaves, plus Luca, plus whatever is here,” Lowe added. “Is that the way into the Luke era, or are we looking at flipping Reeves when he has a higher salary and can bring us more things?”

The Lakers enter 2026 at 20-11, which is fifth in the Western Conference.

Austin Reaves’ expected bounce could lead to a Lakers trade

After getting off to the best start to the season of his career, Lakers save Austin Reaves loss due to calf injury leaves him out of the field for a long period of time. The Lakers are 4-6 in their last 10 games. Many expect Reaves to reach a new agreementeither with the team he plays for or elsewhere, as Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints noted, according to Clutch Scoops .

“Reaves is just a very interesting scenario that comes up all the time when we talk to rival teams around the league. It’s hard to imagine the Lakers trading him, but he’s most likely going to opt out and enter free agency as one of the better guys on the market. Teams are going to chase him. They’re going to come at him with max offers. So are the Lakers going to give him full offers?

“Does he want to be the number two, for Luka Doncic in LA long term? Or will he pull Jalen Brunson to go be a star somewhere else?”

The Lakers will host the Grizzlies on Friday.