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2w ago

Lakers Lock In Austin Reaves With Four-Year, $185 Million Max Deal

It preserves Los Angeles’s immediate salary-room plan by letting the team use Reaves’ cap hold and Bird rights to complete other summer moves before finalizing the contract.

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May 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) dribbles down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images/File Photo
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Overview

  • Reaves agreed in principle on June 24 to a four-year, roughly $185 million maximum contract with a player option for 2029–30 after declining a $14.9 million player option for 2026–27.
  • The reported deal is the largest ever for an undrafted NBA player and removes Reaves from free agency with rival interest from teams such as the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons.
  • The Lakers will sign the contract after they spend available cap space, keeping Reaves’ cap hold on the books so they can re-sign him using his Bird rights without immediately losing summer flexibility.
  • Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 2025–26 but played 51 games because of oblique and calf issues, a health record the team will monitor going forward.
  • With the backcourt of Reaves and Luka Dončić secured, Los Angeles’s next priorities are resolving LeBron James’s free-agent decision and adding a defensive-minded starting center to build a title-capable roster.