NBA Market: Austin Reaves Renews with Los Angeles Lakers

Austin Reaves will continue to be one of the key pieces for Los Angeles Lakers in the coming years. The LA franchise has reached an agreement with the shooting guard for a new maximum contract of four seasons and 185 million dollars, which will include a player option for the 2029-30 season.

As reported by Shams Charania, of ESPN, Reaves previously declined his player option of 14.9 million dollars to facilitate the signing of this new agreement, which will become the most lucrative contract in NBA history for a non-drafted player.

Negotiations between the Lakers and the player's representatives, Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, intensified over the last ten days, once teams were able to start discussions with their own free agents. Shortly after the NBA Finals, Lakers' ownership and front office met with Reaves and his team at the team's training facilities. During the meeting, the franchise arranged various personalized items for the player, including pillows with the initials "AR" and his favorite country music.

The deal was finalized on Wednesday while Reaves was enjoying a day of golf. The news was immediately celebrated by the shooting guard, whose partner shared a picture on social media of the player lying on the grass celebrating the renewal.

Sources close to the player described his reaction as a great relief. Reaves has always expressed his desire to continue his entire career in Los Angeles and believes that there is nothing more important than striving to win a championship for the city.

The renewal will not affect the Lakers' salary flexibility this summer. The franchise's available space already considered the 20.9 million dollar salary retention for the player. Reaves will sign his new contract once the team completes the rest of their market moves and will receive 41.3 million dollars during the first season of the agreement.

The shooting guard attracted significant interest in the free-agent market, with several teams prepared to offer him maximum-level contracts. Among them were the Detroit Pistons, prompting the Lakers to act swiftly to secure the continuity of one of the players developed within the organization.

The franchise's vice president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, had made it clear during end-of-season interviews that Reaves' renewal was an absolute priority for the organization.

Pelinka, on Reaves and the Lakers

"He began his journey here as a Lakers player and has made it very clear to us that he wants his career path to continue in this franchise. We also want that story to keep unfolding in purple and gold," Pelinka stated.

At 28 years old, Reaves had the best statistical season of his NBA career. He averaged 23.3 points with a 49% field goal percentage and 36% in three-point shooting, also contributing 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.

However, various physical issues limited his participation to 51 games, the lowest figure of his career. Injuries to his calf and oblique forced him to miss several games, including the start of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets. After an intense recovery process, he managed to return for the playoffs and posted averages of 20 points and 5.8 assists in six games. Despite his efforts, the Lakers were eliminated in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mercado NBA: Austin Reaves renueva con Los Angeles Lakers