One of the biggest questions going into the offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers was the future of Austin Reaves. The guard was set to be one of the sought after free agents of this class and was set for a big pay increase after being arguably the most underpaid player in the league.
There were rumbles that Reaves could sign elsewhere if the Lakers didn’t pay him properly, but that is no longer a concern as the two sides agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal. And now the exact details of the new contract have come out, via Keith Smith of the Front Office Show:
The Lakers and Austin Reaves agreed to a four-year maximum contract his new $185M contract. Here's how that deal will look:
26-27: $41.3M
27-28: $44.6M
28-29: $47.9M
29-30: $51.2M (player option)Reaves' deal will get signed after the Lakers use their cap space, should they…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 24, 2026
The Lakers have been open about their desire to retain Reaves going forward and the guard has similarly talked in the past about wanting to remain with the franchise, and the two sides were able to accomplish that. There have been rumors that the Detroit Pistons were preparing to clear some cap space to make a run at Reaves, so the Lakers felt they had to give him max money or risk losing him for nothing. It is also worth noting that there is a player option for the final year of the contract, so Reaves could hit free agency again as early as 2029.
What’s also important is that this move won’t affect the Lakers’ cap space this summer, so the team still has all of the tools at their disposal to improve this roster. The front office can now focus on fielding the best roster possible around this backcourt, and then they will circle back to Reaves to officially sign his new deal.
With this contract taken care of, all eyes will be on what the Lakers do next to turn this team into a championship contender for next season.
Lakers trade up & draft Cameron Carr in first round
The Lakers have already made one addition to the roster via the NBA Draft. The front office moved up one spot, giving cash considerations to the New York Knicks to select Baylor guard Cameron Carr with the 24th overall pick. Carr was one of the best athletes at the NBA Draft Combine and averaged 18.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range last season for the Bears.
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