Austin Reaves signed a four-year, $185 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, firmly establishing himself as one of the highest-paid players in the NBA.
Reaves will make $41,240,250 in the 2026-27 season with the Lakers, a figure larger than what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will make next season, but a sum much lower than Zach LaVine’s.
Reaves will make the same amount of money as three other players in the NBA. Let’s take a look at these three players and how the Lakers’ star compares to them heading into next season.
Paolo Banchero – Orlando Magic
Banchero is entering the first season of his 5-year, $239,193,450 rookie max extension he signed with the Orlando Magic. He’s averaged 22.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over the first four years of his career, living up to the production of a No. 1 overall pick but lacking the postseason success.
He’s already established himself as the true No. 1 option for the Magic over the last four seasons, but his inefficient scoring and turnover-prone play have raised questions about his long-term viability as the No. 1 option on a title contender.
Even with those doubts, Banchero is a 23-year-old frontcourt phenom that most franchises would love to build around. The Magic have appointed a new head coach to lead the franchise past the first round, but Banchero needs to deliver on the court to make that happen as well.
Reaves might be a better scorer at the moment, but Banchero has a considerably higher ceiling as a potential NBA superstar over the course of his five-year contract, which has a $54,437,130 player option for the 2030-31 season.
Jalen Williams – Oklahoma City Thunder
Williams received the same rookie max extension as Banchero, so his identical contract will begin with the 2026-27 NBA season. While Williams over-delivered as an All-NBA selection in the OKC Thunder’s 2025 title-winning season, an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign was among the primary reasons for the franchise failing to defend their title.
Williams averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 2024-25 in the title-winning season but managed just 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals last season. His absence was sorely missed by the Thunder in their seven-game loss to the Spurs in the WCF.
J-Dub is one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA, registering minutes across four positions in the last two seasons. He’s a highly productive defender and the certified No. 2 scoring option on what many fear is a potential NBA dynasty.
Williams will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to bounce back next season. He and Reaves both occupy No. 2 option roles for their respective teams, but Williams is far more effective defensively while struggling with offensive inconsistency, unlike Reaves.
Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma City Thunder
Holmgren was selected No. 2 after Banchero in the 2022 NBA Draft, and 11 spots before teammate Williams. These are the three best players from that class, and all three received the same rookie contract extension that matches Reaves’ contract dollar-for-dollar.
Holmgren has averaged 16.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on the Thunder, averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks last season.
He’s already proven himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA, playing a crucial role in marshalling OKC’s incredible defense. However, he did not show up in the 2026 WCF, averaging just 10.7 points against the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama.
Holmgren might be the least offensively-viable option of the three players, but he is far and away the best defender here. Many would argue he’s OKC’s second-most valuable player ahead of Williams, while Reaves is most definitely the second-best player on his squad.
The three players making the same as Reaves are younger and are at the beginning of their careers, while Reaves is a completed product. Hopefully, we see Reaves live up to the expectations his new contract brings upon him.
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