“All athletes, once you get a good contract, you’re looked at to live up to that….and there’s obviously people out there that think I wasn’t worth that.” Austin Reaves’s journey from being signed by the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract to becoming the 125th highest-paid player in the NBA this season has raised eyebrows. His rapid rise was initially met with skepticism, but many overlooked the fact that the 26-year-old is now the starting shooting guard for one of the league’s most iconic franchises. He played a pivotal role in the Lakers’ 2023 postseason, averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Given his contributions, it’s hard to argue against the extension deal he secured in 2023.

With that said, let’s dive deeper into the details of the contract that the charismatic Lakers star has signed.

What terms does Austin Rivers’ contract list?

In July 2023, the Lakers announced that they had signed Austin Reaves, who was a free agent after his two-way contract ended, on a 4-year, $56 million contract. They later reduced the amount to $53.8 million. He received an ‘Early Bird Maximum’ deal. It is the one that the league offers to players who sign as free agents and have devoted two consecutive seasons to the same team. With regular Bird Rights, they could sign the player to a five-year contract extension, while Early Bird Rights only allow for four years. A possible fear that another franchise would swoop in and take Reaves may have compelled the Lakers to offer the contract early.

Thanks to the terms stipulated under the contract, the player has already made $12.015 million during the previous season. Now, he is set to earn $12.976 million during the ongoing season. He is expected to make $13.94 million during the 2025-26 season, and $14.899 million during the season after that. According to Shams Charania, the contract also provides a player option for the 4 year (2026-27 season), along with a 15 percent trade kicker and the maximum advance allowable.

The Lakers gave Austin Reaves an extension under this deal after he started his career with them on a two-way contract for an undisclosed amount. The Detroit Pistons initially planned to select the shooting guard as the 42nd overall pick during the 2021 NBA Draft. However, the player himself declined the offer which, as we now know, was a wise choice. After averaging 6.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2 assists during the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, and then 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during the California Classic, Reaves was provided with a standard contract in September 2021 that would pay him almost $2.49 million over 2 years.

Therefore, going from an annual pay of $1.24 million to $12.976 million certainly speaks well for the point guard. While some criticism may have existed during the earlier days, one analyst is simply glad that Reaves was signed at the appropriate time with a longer extension period. Otherwise, an opposite scenario would have put the player in an unwanted situation.

NBA insiders point out that a shorter contract would have made Austin Reaves more tradeable

In September, NBA analysts Trevor Lane and Donnie Ballard hosted another segment of the Lakers Nation show, where they discussed trade rumors surrounding the team. Speculation was rife early in the month about the possibility of trading either Austin Reaves or D’Angelo Russell. The situation surrounding Karl-Anthony Towns later in October served as a reminder that even top players aren’t safe before training camp begins. During their discussion, both hosts leaned toward D’Angelo Russell being more likely to be traded, especially since he was entering the final year of his contract after opting into his player option. In contrast, Austin Reaves had the advantage of two years remaining on his deal.

“If Austin Reeves had D’Angelo Russell’s contract right now, rather than talking about D’Lo trades, we’d probably be talking about Austin trades,” said Lane. Donnie Ballard added to this statement by putting forward his belief that “Austin’s on one of the best value contracts in the entire league in my opinion for the production that he’s giving you.” Having averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists during the previous season, the player’s scoring prowess would not have been something that the Lakers would have wanted to get rid of.

Do you believe that Austin Reaves’s contract is worth the contribution he makes on the NBA court? Let us know in the comments down below.