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Austin Reaves lands $185M Lakers deal, biggest undrafted contract

7/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Austin Reaves signed a four-year, $185 million max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on June 24, 2026.
The deal is the largest contract ever given to an undrafted NBA player, averaging about $46 million per year.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals last season.
He will miss LeBron James after James announced his departure and will compete in the American Century Championship, hoping to win.

History

Historical Context

Shaquille O'Neal’s seven-year, $121 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 set the NBA’s first max-contract benchmark under the 1995 collective-bargaining agreement. Six decades later, the Lakers signed undrafted guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million pact in 2026, illustrating how league revenues and salary-cap negotiations have escalated since O'Neal’s landmark contract.

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Story summary

Austin Reaves signed a four-year, $185 million max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on June 24, 2026.
The deal is the largest contract ever given to an undrafted NBA player, averaging about $46 million per year.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals last season.
He will miss LeBron James after James announced his departure and will compete in the American Century Championship, hoping to win.

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