Lakers Receive Positive Update Ahead of Knicks Rematch<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers is poised to return just in time for the team’s big rematch against the New York Knicks on Thursday, March 6.<\/p>\n
Reaves (right calf strain) is listed as probable to play in the NBA’s official injury report, alongside LeBron James (left foot injury management) and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (right knee contusion).<\/p>\n
Reaves has been sidelined for the Lakers’ last two games after suffering the calf injury during their 106-102 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 28.<\/p>\n
The Lakers are currently on a seven-game win streak and have triumphed in 17 of their last 20 games, heading into their rematch with the Knicks. On February 1, they defeated the Knicks 128-112 in New York, and later that day, they made a historic trade to acquire Don\u010di\u0107 from Dallas.<\/p>\n
This game will also feature the second meeting between Don\u010di\u0107 and Knicks star Jalen Brunson, former teammates in the Mavericks\u2019 backcourt during their 2022 Western Conference Finals run.<\/p>\n
The Knicks are coming off a tough 114-102 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on March 4, with Karl-Anthony Towns absent due to personal reasons. Towns is not listed on the Knicks’ injury report for the Thursday matchup, which will be broadcast nationally on TNT.<\/p>\n
This is a crucial game for the Lakers as they seek to secure the second seed before embarking on a challenging four-game road trip starting Saturday, March 8, in Boston against their arch-rivals, the defending champion Celtics.<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves\u2019 Potential Extension<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves\u2019 rise as the Lakers’ third star has been a significant source of pride for the organization, but it could also result in the need to offer him a substantial contract to keep him.<\/p>\n
Reaves, 26, becomes eligible for an extension starting July 6. The undrafted guard has already outperformed the four-year, $54 million extension he signed in the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n
Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that Reaves is likely to decline the Lakers’ extension offer this offseason and instead opt out after next season to secure a bigger deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect the Lakers to offer Austin a contract extension on July 6 or around that time, somewhere in the range of four years, $88-90 million,\u201d Buha said on his podcast “Buha\u2019s Block” on February 25. \u201cThat\u2019s roughly $22-23 million annually, which is below Austin\u2019s market value.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reaves Expected to Turn Down Extension This Summer<\/p>\n
Reaves is having his best season in the NBA, averaging 19.1 points on a 45\/36\/87 shooting split, with career highs in assists (6.0), steals (1.1), and rebounds (4.2).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lakers will likely make a formal extension offer, saying this is the best they can do, and they\u2019d love him to stay long-term,\u201d Buha continued. \u201cBut I believe Reaves will decline that offer and opt out after the 2025-26 season. He has a player option for 2026-27.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Buha quickly added that Reaves will likely try to stay with the team that gave him his NBA opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in the summer of 2026, he\u2019ll opt out, test free agency, and then attempt to remain a Laker long-term. It will depend on what contract they offer him,\u201d Buha said. \u201cHe\u2019s a player who should be earning at least $27-28 million, if not $30+ million moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Lakers Receive Positive Update Ahead of Knicks Rematch Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers is poised to return just in time for the team’s big rematch against the New York Knicks on Thursday, March 6. Reaves (right calf strain) is listed as probable to play in the NBA’s official injury report, alongside LeBron James […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2586],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakers"],"yoast_head":"\n