Lakers' Austin Reaves Opens Up About Emotional Road to Historic Contract

Some moments in sports are big and loud. Others happen quietly, somewhere you'd never expect. For Los Angeles Lakers rising star Austin Reaves, one of the biggest financial moments of his life came while he was mid-round on a golf course.

His girlfriend, Jenna Barber, posted a photo of Reaves lying flat on the green grass shortly after the news broke, via Clutchpoints. No press conference, no dramatic announcement. Just a guy on a golf course who had just found out where his future was likely headed.

Austin Reaves was at a golf course when he officially agreed to his 4-year, $185 million deal to stay with the Lakers.

The reaction is priceless 😂

(via jennabarberr/IG) https://t.co/pFf9hZkgMk pic.twitter.com/k6qCJHmrKX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 24, 2026

The Lakers and Reaves have agreed on a four-year, $185 million maximum contract, with a player option in the final season in 2029-30. Reaves declined a $14.9 million player option on his previous deal to get here, with free agency officially opening June 30.

The deal, once signed, will make history. It would be the largest contract ever for an undrafted player in NBA history, surpassing the three-year, $130 million deal Fred VanVleet signed with the Houston Rockets in 2023.

Reaves entered the league in 2021 on a two-way deal after going undrafted out of Oklahoma, and he has grown into one of the better guards in the NBA since. This past season, he averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while playing alongside Luka Doncic.

What Austin Reaves Said About His Pending $185M Lakers Deal

Dan Woike of The Athletic caught up with Reaves after the news came out. He did not hold back on how the process felt.

"I mean, it was a breath of fresh air because I hadn't stopped thinking about where I was going to be,” Reaves said. “And it's just like a sigh of relief. I mean, regardless of whatever played out, I'm obviously grateful and in a good position to take care of the people I love. My heart's been in L.A. Every morning I wake up, I'm just like, 'I hope we can get this done today.'

"And even if I was frustrated through the process when we (weren't) getting the numbers we wanted, the next morning I woke up, it was still the same thing: 'Hopefully we can get this done today.'"

The Lakers used their exclusive negotiating window to reach this agreement before free agency officially opens. That timing mattered, as the Detroit Pistons were among the teams already linked to Reaves at max-level money.

Doncic had also reportedly told the organization he did not want Reaves included in any trade package discussions.

With this agreement in place, Los Angeles can now shift focus to the rest of their offseason. LeBron James remains a free agent, and decisions on DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart's player options are still pending. Once Reaves officially signs, the front office will have a clearer picture of what they can do next.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google