Lakers officially sign $185M fan favorite, Luka Doncic's partner in crime for third straight season

Lakers officially sign $185M fan favorite, Luka Doncic’s partner in crime for third straight season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy this offseason, making a series of major moves as they continue building the franchise around Luka Doncic. The superstar reportedly gave the organization a list of players he wanted to play alongside, and the Lakers were able to bring back most of them.

The biggest priority for Doncic was Austin Reaves. However, the Lakers guard made his future with the franchise unclear at the end of the season.

“I try not to think about it. Honestly. I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Reaves told ESPN. “Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”

The Lakers faced competition for the former undrafted guard, but Reaves ultimately decided to stay in Los Angeles and agreed to a maximum contract.

“Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the franchise, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option to pave the way for this new max deal, which is the richest contract in NBA history for an undrafted player,” ESPN wrote.

Reaves has become a cornerstone of the Lakers over the past several seasons, and on Sunday, the organization officially announced his return.

“OFFICIAL: Laker Nation, HE’S BACK,” the Lakers posted.

The next chapter of Lakers basketball will be led by Doncic and Reaves, who now stand as the franchise’s two cornerstone players. The organization believes it has found the faces of its future.

This will be Reaves’ first season without LeBron James as a teammate, but he will continue playing alongside another superstar in Doncic. If Doncic is unavailable at any point during the season, Reaves will be expected to take on an even larger role. What once seemed like a dream has now become a reality for one of the Lakers’ biggest fan favorites.

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