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HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 01: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The big news of Austn Reaves returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a max contract featured him reacting stronger than anyone else. Reaves expected to draw strong interest from other teams offering big money, like the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately for those other teams, the Lakers didn’t feel like wasting time and offered their max contract to Reaves before the free agency period even started.
Reaves was actually at a golf course and had an emotional reaction. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared the following story about how Reaves found out the news:
“He was out at a golf course I’m told when he found out that the deal was agreed upon and fell on the grass in a mixture of joy and relief. A source close to Austin told me that he wants to play his entire career with the Lakers and nothing he wants more than to deliver a championship to the Lakers at some point.”
The fun day out at a golf course turned into a life changing moment of Reaves falling down to the grass for both relief and joy upon getting the call. Reaves clearly wanted to return to the Lakers, but there was some doubt if he’d get a max contract since they need to make multiple major moves this summer.
We Learned Austin Reaves’ Dream NBA Goals
The report from McMenamin shared both the moment of Reaves falling to the grass and the reasoning behind his emotions. An important point featured Reaves wanting to spend his entire career with the Lakers since he truly loves playing there.
Reaves spent all season praising the franchise and making it clear he wanted to stay there. The breakout season instantly created stories about whether the Lakers would be willing to pay his growing market value, and Reaves never gave fans any reason to doubt his loyalty.
An NBA Championship win for the Lakers is considered to be Reaves’ dream, and he will be around for the foreseeable future. The Lakers hope that Reaves will be able to be a top three star on the roster with Luka Doncic clearly in the top “face of the franchise” role.
Lakers Offseason Revolves Around LeBron James Now
The two biggest dominos for the Lakers offseason featured if and how long it would take to retain Reaves and/or LeBron James. Reaves is already confirmed to return, but James is now the biggest story of the summer with free agency starting next month.
Rumors indicate that LeBron won’t take a big pay cut like many hoped for entering the offseason. The Lakers must decide how much James is worth to them since they have other free agents from their own team and multiple names on the market they desire.
Reaves having a great relationship with LeBron only helps the team’s chances of retaining James. However, this massive deal could also see LeBron wanting his fair share of the salary to limit their other moves. The Lakers will have a couple of massive weeks to make the right decisions for the franchise’s chances of title contention.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford