Austin Reaves Is Staying With The Lakers On A Four-Year $185 Million Max Extension

Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract extension to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

The deal includes a player option for the final season in 2029-30, giving Reaves the ability to opt out and re-enter the market after three years if he chooses.

Reaves, 27, from Newark, Arkansas, came to the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, no fanfare, no guarantee he would make the roster, and has built himself into one of the most reliable and beloved players in the organization across five seasons.

He averaged 22.3 points, 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds last season, his best statistical year as a pro, while shooting 43.1 percent from three on six attempts per game.

He has been one of the most efficient high-volume three-point shooters in the league across the past two seasons and one of the most clutch players on the roster in the moments that matter.

The $185 million extension is the largest contract in Lakers history for a player who was not a superstar import, it is the market setting its price on what it costs to keep a proven two-way starter who has grown up entirely within one organization.

He is widely referred to as AR-15 by the Lakers fanbase, a nickname that has migrated from chant to genuine affection.

The fact that he is staying to build on a Lakers team that also has LeBron James and Anthony Davis locked in for the near term made this the kind of decision that did not require much deliberation.

He is a Laker. He is staying a Laker. One hundred and eighty-five million dollars says so.