Season-long rumors finally culminated in the Los Angeles Lakers making the first of many long-term decisions this offseason by securing Austin Reaves with a historic contract extension. But before the ink dried on the four-year, $185 million maximum deal, the richest contract ever awarded to an undrafted player in NBA history, the franchise had already been quietly preparing to ensure it never reached such a desperate point.
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Right after the NBA Finals concluded, the Lakers’ ownership and the front office didn’t waste any time. According to ESPN Insider Shams Charania, they met with Reaves and his agents at the team’s practice facility in a private event room, where they arranged everything to make the 28-year-old guard feel at home. They played his favorite country music and provided personalized AR-initialed pillows for Reaves and everyone else in attendance.
It was the kind of gesture that told Reaves exactly where he stood within the organization before a single dollar figure was formally discussed. It mattered because the pressure was real for both the player and LA. Over the last 24 to 48 hours before the deal was announced, the Lakers came to the understanding that Reaves had multiple max contract offers available to him if he hit the open market on July 1. The Detroit Pistons, in particular, were coming aggressively for him, with the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks also linked as suitors.
This wasn’t a foregone conclusion. The Lakers were essentially racing the calendar, and Reaves felt every second of it. Coming off a breakout NBA season, the guard confessed that the unpredictable nature of free agency took a severe toll on his mental health, even as the franchise rolled out the red carpet.
“I didn’t like it,” Reaves admitted about the negotiation process in a candid interview with The Athletic’s Dan Woike. “It was weird. It just was, I mean, it’s just a lot of ‘What ifs.’ I just like to know where I’m going to be.”
The Lakers apparently went over the top in their meeting with Austin Reaves to sign him now. Shams said on ESPN that after the NBA Finals, LA's ownership met with him and not only played his favorite country music, but they had personalized AR-initialed pillows in the meeting.
That anxiety had a specific shape.
Reaves had become one of those rare undrafted free agents who transform into franchise pillars – averaging 23.3 points on 49% shooting, with 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals last season across a career-low 51 games, before rehabbing around the clock to return in the playoffs and average 20.0 points and 5.8 assists in six games. Interestingly, when Reaves was on the floor with LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers had a 20-9 record and a plus-7.8 net rating.
Reaves’ value was undeniable. What was unclear was whether the Lakers’ internal timeline would align with his. He and his agents at AMR Agency worked through discussions over the last 10 days after teams were able to negotiate with their own free agents – ten days of “what ifs” that Reaves could not switch off.
The uncertainty finally broke on a Tuesday afternoon while Reaves was on an offseason getaway in Batesville, Arkansas. When he heard that Los Angeles had officially extended him a maximum contract offer, the guard was overcome with emotion, sprawling out on a patch of grass out of pure happiness and relief.
“It was a breath of fresh air because I hadn’t stopped thinking about where I was going to be,” Reaves later explained in a phone interview. “It’s just like a sigh of relief. 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.’ 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.’”
Reaves has also become the moodmaker of the LA locker room because of his banter with Doncic, his genuine excitement about playing with James, and his hype for Bronny. So this wasn’t just a display of raw vulnerability on his part. It underscored reports of a supposedly over-the-top recruitment strategy orchestrated by the Lakers behind closed doors.
The finalized figures carry weight beyond Reaves
The Lakers are projected to have among the most cap space in the NBA this offseason, and locking in Reaves before he could test free agency meant LA retained its ability to maneuver.
The deal has no impact on the Lakers’ cap flexibility this summer, as Reaves’ $20.9 million cap hold was already baked into their projections. He will sign last, after the Lakers exhaust their available room. In other words, they kept their star and kept their options open.
Now officially paired with Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future and with LeBron James’ decision still pending, AR can leave the frustration of the negotiating table behind him as he chases a championship in the city his heart never wanted to leave.
If the Lakers matched this level of effort for Hillbilly Kobe, LakeShow can’t wait to see what they have in store for LeBron. Custom coffee mugs, maybe.