Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a timeout against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026.

Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers hold hands during a timeout against the Chicago Bulls on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Austin Reaves Signed $180 Million Deal To Give Los Angeles Lakers Financial Flexibility

Ashish MathurJuly 13, 2026 4:53 PMJuly 13, 2026 4:53 PM

Austin Reaves didn’t sign a four-year, $185 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer.

It was actually a four-year, $180 million deal, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“Reaves, who originally agreed to a four-year, $185 million extension with a player option on the final season, ended up inking a four-year, $180 million deal, league sources confirmed to ESPN. Reaves’ decision, sources told ESPN, will give the Lakers more financial flexibility moving forward — making it possible to pursue a player with the non-taxpayer midlevel exception next summer.”

Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season while shooting 49.0% from the field, 36.0% from beyond the arc and 87.1% from the free-throw line. He has increased his scoring average every year in the league.

The 28-year-old Reaves holds career averages of 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the regular season and 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the playoffs. He helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals in 2023.

“I wanted to be a Laker the whole time,” Reaves said. “We had that period from when the season ended until the first [of July] to get something done, and we figured it out before then. My heart was in L.A. the whole time.”

Reaves is a close friend of Lakers superstar Luka Dončić. Los Angeles basically has a brand new team for next season. LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton are gone and Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams are in.

“Everybody knows it’s a completely different team,” Reaves said. “There’s going to be different things asked of different people, and if that’s what JJ [Redick] and the staff asks of me, I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”

Los Angeles went 53-29 last season. Dončić led the NBA in points per game and total points in his first full season with the Lakers. However, he missed the 2026 playoffs due to the severe left hamstring injury he suffered on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While Reaves is excited about his new teammates, he will miss playing with James.

“I don’t know if I’ve honestly processed it yet,” Reaves said of James’ decision to leave Los Angeles after eight years with the franchise. “Starting the season without him being on the team is going to be different for me. He’s kind of all I’ve ever known. Just him being around, joking around, acting like he’s 15. But that’s his decision and … I got nothing but love and respect for him.”