The former undrafted guard lands the richest contract ever for an undrafted player in NBA history.
Austin Reaves is staying in Los Angeles.
The 28-year-old guard intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to remain with the Lakers, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, making it the richest deal ever given to an undrafted player in NBA history.
Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season to make way for the new deal, which includes a player option in the final year for the 2029-30 season.
Why He's Worth It
The price tag is big, but Reaves earned it with a breakout 2025-26 season that proved he belongs among the best guards in the league.
He averaged a career-high 23.3 points per game while also putting up 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 51 games, shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three.
Every one of those numbers either matched or topped his previous best, and only a Grade 2 oblique injury slowed him down late in the year.
What made Reaves even more valuable was how well he fit next to Luka Doncic.
With Doncic averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games as the team's lead option, Reaves settled into a natural role as the secondary creator who could score on all three levels and keep the offense moving when Doncic rested.
The two helped push the Lakers to a 53-29 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference, where Los Angeles beat the Houston Rockets in six games before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Conference Semifinals.
What It Means for the Rest of the Offseason
Locking up Reaves was the first big move on a long list of roster decisions that still need to happen.
LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent at 41 years old, and early talks between his camp and the Lakers have been surface-level at best, with no salary figures discussed and no real commitment to returning.
Marcus Smart holds a $5.4 million player option and is reportedly looking for a new deal and a raise after proving himself as a defensive anchor beside Doncic and Reaves.
Deandre Ayton is expected to pick up his $8.1 million player option, but the Lakers have been open about wanting a frontcourt upgrade to better fit how Doncic plays.
The front office has plenty to sort through before free agency opens on June 30.
Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Maxi Kleber are all hitting the open market, and GM Rob Pelinka has said the plan is to build around Doncic going forward.
Getting Reaves locked in before rival teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons could make their offers was the smart play, and now Los Angeles can shift its attention to filling out the rest of the roster around their two best players.
