Lakers lock up Austin Reaves on four-year deal worth about $185 million

The Los Angeles Lakers have reached agreement with guard Austin Reaves on a new four-year contract that is designed to keep him from entering free agency this summer. According to ESPN reporter Shams Charania, the deal is expected to be a maximum contract worth roughly $185 million.

Reaves will give up his $14.9 million player option for the 2026/27 season and sign a new agreement that also includes a player option in the fourth year. The move makes him one of the Lakers' most important signings of the offseason and is likely to make him the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history.

Reaves joined the Lakers in 2021 as an undrafted player and has become one of the franchise's biggest success stories in recent years. In the 2025/26 season, he posted career highs of 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game, establishing himself as a key part of the team's rotation.

Even after missing 51 games because of injuries, including one that also kept him out at the start of the playoffs, his market value remained strong. Other teams, including the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons, were said to be interested, but the Lakers moved quickly to retain him. The new contract is also seen as a boost to his growing offensive partnership with Luka Doncic, and the Lakers say it does not alter their summer roster plans despite the impact on future salary cap space.