Austin Reaves thought he was done with Lakers; he’s now their $185 million man
ExclusiveAustin Reaves thought he was done with Lakers; he’s now their $185 million man
After signing a four-year contract extension, Austin Reaves looks forward to being a Lakers centerpiece along with Luka Dončić. Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
By Dan WoikeJune 24, 2026 Updated 7:41 pm EDTAustin Reaves collapsed on the grass at The Course at Eagle Mountain. Talks with the Lakers about his free agency lasted only a week, but Reaves was fried.
Tuesday needed to be the last of it — for his sanity.
“I didn’t like it,” Reaves told The Athletic. “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.”
So, when he got word on the golf course Tuesday afternoon that the Lakers had increased their contract offer to four years and $185 million, the 28-year-old Reaves, who entered the NBA as an undrafted free agent in 2021, sprawled out on a patch of grass at Batesville, Ark., with a mixture of happiness and relief. His girlfriend, Jenna Barber, shared the image of Reaves sprawled out on her Instagram page Wednesday.
“I mean, it was a breath of fresh air because I hadn’t stopped thinking about where I was going to be. And it’s just like a sigh of relief,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday. “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.’
Tuesday turned out to be that day, with Reaves agreeing to return to the Lakers, who held off a list of clubs headlined by the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets who were expected to make max offers.
The Pistons had emerged as the most significant threat to land Reaves over the past week, per league sources granted anonymity to discuss potential plans.
Is Austin Reaves good enough to be a number 1? Dave DuFourOther teams could’ve offered Reaves four years and more than $178.5 million. The Lakers could’ve offered Reaves five years and more than $240 million.
Reaves returns to a Lakers roster transitioning to one centered around Luka Dončić. The team could have more than $50 million in cap space to build that roster even with Reaves’ deal, which will officially be signed after the Lakers conclude their offseason business to give the team maximum flexibility.
But keeping Reaves ranked high among the Lakers’ priorities.
In 51 games this past season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Only 11 other players averaged at least 23 points, four rebounds and five assists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Dončić, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, James Harden, Deni Avdija, Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Reaves played alongside Dončić and LeBron James, the Lakers had a 20-9 record and plus-7.8 net rating, according to NBA.com.
Nevertheless, Reaves said his conversations with agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry hadn’t made him optimistic for a deal to stay in Los Angeles. There were times when he thought he could be playing elsewhere, even as recently as this week.
“A couple of times actually,” Reaves said. “I didn’t know how negotiations would go. I don’t think Aaron and Reggie really knew how negotiations would go, so we learned a lot throughout the process. But like I said, we wanted to be in L.A., my heart was in L.A., and we got it done.”
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For now, Reaves and Dončić are on the roster, giving the Lakers their backcourt for the present and future and the building blocks for the moves the Lakers make next.
“It’s going to be fun. And like I said, winning a championship is the main goal,” Reaves said. “And I feel like, you know, with me and Luka, that’s a great starting piece to compete. And when we put a roster together that can go compete, I feel like winning a championship will basically solidify everything that I want and everything that the Lakers want.
“And it kind of meets the common goal of why they gave me the money they did.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
