Reaves lands the max: $185 million with the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have locked up one of their most important building blocks. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Austin Reaves agreed a 4-year, $185 million maximum contract with the Lakers. The deal includes a player option for the final season (2029-30). With this contract, the 27-year-old guard becomes the owner of the richest deal an undrafted player has signed in NBA history.

After what was widely considered the best season of his career, Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option to sign this new deal. Per Charania, Reaves was expected to attract serious interest from multiple teams at or near max level in free agency, led by the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers and Reaves' agents, Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, worked through the deal over the last 10 days after teams were able to negotiate with their own free agents; the Lakers thus locked him up before rivals could come to the table.

Reaves's journey is built on proving doubters wrong. Undrafted out of Oklahoma in 2021, he entered the league on a two-way contract and gradually became one of the league's most efficient offensive guards. Although injuries limited Reaves to 51 games in 2025-26, when he was on the floor he looked like a player heading for a big payday.

Setting career highs last season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game and emerged as Luka Dončić's most reliable offensive partner. The new deal's annual average value is about $46.5 million. Although the deal is announced now, his $20.9 million cap hold gives the Lakers more flexibility in the offseason, so the contract will be signed after the club finishes its free-agency moves. An undrafted free agent four years ago, Reaves is now one of the faces of the franchise and the owner of this record contract.

Source: Shams Charania