Lakers agree to four-year, $185 million maximum contract with Austin Reaves

Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers that includes a player option for the 2029-30 season, ESPN reported. Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season to enable the new deal.

The agreement was reached Wednesday after the Lakers and Reaves' agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency negotiated over the prior 10 days.

Lakers ownership and front office representatives met with Reaves and his agents at the team's practice facility shortly after the NBA Finals. Reaves was on the golf course when the deal was finalized, and his longtime girlfriend posted a photo of him on the grass in celebration.

" The contract will pay Reaves $41.3 million in the first year, followed by $44.6 million in 2027-28, $47.9 million in 2028-29 and $51.2 million in 2029-30 if he exercises the option.

Reaves will sign after the Lakers exhaust their salary-cap room this summer, and the team's projected space already accounts for his $20.9 million cap hold. Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last season on 49 percent shooting and 36 percent from three-point range. He appeared in a career-low 51 games due to calf and oblique injuries.

In six playoff games, he averaged 20.0 points and 5.8 assists before the Lakers were eliminated in the second round.