Austin Reaves returning to Lakers on four-year, $56M deal
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers are re-signing guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $56 million Early Bird maximum contract to stay in Los Angeles.
Reaves’ new deal contains a player option on the fourth year, earning him $14 million annually, a 15% trade kicker, and the maximum advance allowable to secure his stay.
Re-signing Reaves was the Lakers’ number one focus heading into the offseason, checking off their top priority and securing another starting position on day two of free agency.
Austin Reaves’ improvement from his rookie to his sophomore season was one of the biggest improvement jumps in the NBA, forming a complementary bond on the floor with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
In 64 games this season, Reaves averaged 13.0 points per game, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 39.8% from three and 52.9% overall.
Reaves played with high effort and determination in the Lakers’ offense in his first appearance in the playoffs, averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds.
Signing Reaves to an extension solidifies the Lakers starting shooting guard position for the foreseeable future, as his promise continues to rise going into his third year in the NBA at 25 years old.
