Lakers Secure Austin Reaves With Four-Year, $185 Million Max Contract
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The Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement with guard Austin Reaves on a projected four-year, $185 million maximum contract that will keep him off the free-agency market, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday.
Reaves, 28, will decline his $14.9 million player option for the 2026/27 season and sign the new deal, which includes a player option in the fourth year, according to the report.
The contract is the largest ever awarded to an undrafted player. Reaves joined the Lakers on a two-way deal in 2021 and has increased his scoring in each of his five NBA seasons. In 2025/26 he averaged a career-best 23.3 points on .490/.360/.871 shooting, along with 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals over 34.5 minutes per game.
Despite missing 31 games last season because of injuries, including an oblique strain that sidelined him late in the regular season and early in the playoffs, Reaves remained one of the most sought-after potential free agents. The Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons were both expected to pursue him with maximum offers.
Retaining Reaves was considered a top offseason priority for Los Angeles, especially given his strong relationship with star teammate Luka Dončić. By reaching an early agreement, the Lakers prevented rivals from entering negotiations.
Based on a projected $165 million salary cap, Reaves’s new deal will start at $41.25 million in 2026/27 and could rise to $51.15 million in 2029/30 if he exercises the player option. The Lakers’ ability to offer 8 percent annual raises, compared with the 5 percent available to other teams, pushed the total value past the $177.38 million limit competitors could offer.
Because Los Angeles can keep Reaves’s $20.91 million cap hold on its books, the agreement will not affect the club’s ability to operate under the cap this summer. The Lakers can spend available space, then exceed the cap to finalize his contract using Bird rights, or choose to remain over the cap while focusing on trades and re-signing other free agents.
Source: Hoops Rumors
