4 years, $185 million! Lakers' second signing of the offseason! Sets record for largest contract by an undrafted player

Yesterday, the Lakers traded their 25th pick along with some cash to the Knicks for the 24th pick in the draft, selecting 3-and-D wing Cameron Carr. That was their first move of the offseason. Twelve hours later, they made their second.

According to renowned reporter Shams, Reaves declined his $14.9 million player option,and signed a new four-year, $185 million max contract with the Lakers, with a player option for the final year, the 2029-30 season.

The Lakers and Reaves' agents held intense negotiations over the past 10 days, ultimately resulting in Reaves securing the largest contract ever given to an undrafted player in NBA history.

Shams added that Reaves was expected to receive offers from multiple teams, such as the Detroit Pistons, and could have landed a max deal. Therefore, the Lakers acted quickly to lock down their homegrown talent. Reaves' journey from undrafted to two-way contract, then to the Lakers' regular roster, and now to a lucrative contract with the Lakers is truly inspiring.

Since entering the NBA, Reaves has signed four contracts:

July 2021: Two-way contract

September 2021: Two-year, $2.49 million standard contract

July 2023: Four-year, $56.25 million extension with the Lakers

June 2026: Four-year, $185 million max extension with the Lakers

In theory, Reaves could have signed a five-year, $241 million max contract with the Lakers. According to Lakers reporter Dan Woike, the value of Reaves' deal matches the maximum offer he could have received from other teams.In other words, the Lakers essentially matched another team's offer in advance.

Salary cap expert Keith Smith said: "Reaves' contract is expected to be signed after the Lakers use their cap space, giving them plenty of flexibility to build the roster this summer."

That means the two sides have reached a verbal agreement, and Reaves will formally sign after the Lakers add some players.

Reaves' annual salary is roughly $46 million. Fans who thought he was only worth $30 million will be disappointed. Everyone expected the ceiling to be $40 million, but it surpassed $45 million—the Lakers really went all in. Reaves is locked in with the Lakers for the next four years, through 2030.

Reaves' max contract is controversial. Despite his active defensive effort, his physical strength limits him; he is not a reliable defender. Especially in the playoffs, stronger opponents can target him, and he can become a liability in crunch time. His fatigue also affects his chase-down speed, leading to chaos in the team's backcourt defense.

Many consider Reaves a good role player or third option, not a superstar who can carry a team. Yet his salary is now at the superstar level. Under high-intensity playoff defense, his offensive consistency and stability drop significantly.

For the coming years, the Lakers' starting backcourt is officially set as Reaves and Doncic. This fulfills Doncic's wish. Over the past year, Doncic clearly expressed in conversations with Lakers management that he wanted Reaves to stay. Doncic even indicated that he would not want Reaves included in any trade package, even for Giannis.

Undeniably, Reaves is the Lakers' most successful player development story in recent years. He is a key scoring threat in the backcourt. However, his natural defensive shortcomings make it hard to place high expectations on him.

Reaves' max extension will profoundly impact the Lakers' future direction in building around Doncic.

Congratulations to Reaves, he's set for life.