The Lakers have taken care of one of their biggest items in free agency.
Austin Reaves has agreed to re-sign with the Lakers, as first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. Reaves will sign a four-year, $185 million deal.
Last summer, it was reported that Reaves wanted over $30 million per year in his new deal, but after a season where he averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists, all career highs, a $40 million per year deal became much more likely.
Reaves had some of his best ever performances this season, including a career-high 51 points in a win over the Kings. He battled back from a Grade 2 oblique strain late in the season and was able to return for the playoffs, helping the Lakers defeat the Rockets in the opening round.
While his play was a mixed bag in the postseason, Reaves did have some solid games. In Game 2 against the Thunder, he went 10-16 from the field and scored a team-high 31 points.
Retaining Reaves was clearly a top priority for the Lakers.
This has been lauded as a big off-season for the purple and gold, as they entered it with plenty of roster spots and cap space, which they need to use well to help close the gap with the Thunder and Spurs.
By bringing back Reaves, the Lakers have secured their backcourt and have made it clear with this significant pay raise that they believe the duo of Dončić and Reaves can compete in the West.
With Reaves as the starting guard for Lakers head coach JJ Redick, he’s not only continued to improve, but the team has won 50-plus games in back-to-back seasons, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2011 when Phil Jackson was the coach.
Overall, this was an easy choice for the Lakers to make. Reaves has said he wants to be a Laker for life, and the franchise has matched that energy with this contract.
Los Angeles did the hard part already: finding top talent that went undrafted and helping mold them into the players they can become.
This summer was about rewarding that growth with a substantial raise and securing Reaves for years to come. Now, Reaves will remain in a purple and gold uniform, and the Lakers can focus on building out the rest of their roster.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
