<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves got the deal he wanted, but the road to returning to the Los Angeles Lakers wasn\u2019t nearly as straightforward as many expected.<\/p>\n
After agreeing to a four-year, $185 million contract to remain in Los Angeles, Reaves admitted there were multiple points during negotiations when he genuinely believed his future could be elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Reaves revealed just how uncertain the process became.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple of times actually,\u201d Reaves said<\/a> speaking with Dan Woike of The Athletic. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how negotiations would go. I don\u2019t think Aaron and Reggie really knew how negotiations would go, so we learned a lot throughout the process. But like I said, we wanted to be in L.A., my heart was in L.A., and we got it done.\u201d<\/p>\n Although both sides ultimately reached an agreement, the extended negotiations created plenty of stress for the Lakers guard, who admitted the uncertainty became difficult to handle.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t like it,\u201d Reaves told The Athletic. \u201cIt was weird. It just was, I mean, it\u2019s just a lot of \u2018What ifs.\u2019 I just like to know where I\u2019m going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n That anxiety finally disappeared once the contract was finalized, allowing Reaves to enjoy his offseason without constantly thinking about his future.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it was a breath of fresh air because I hadn\u2019t stopped thinking about where I was going to be. And it\u2019s just like a sigh of relief,\u201d he said in a phone interview Wednesday. \u201cI mean, regardless of whatever played out, I\u2019m obviously grateful and in a good position to take care of the people I love. My heart\u2019s been in L.A. Every morning I wake up, I\u2019m just like, \u2018I hope we can get this done today.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAnd even if I was frustrated through the process when we (weren\u2019t) getting the numbers we wanted, the next morning I woke up, it was still the same thing: \u2018Hopefully we can get this done today.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The new deal makes Reaves the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history and secures another major piece of the Lakers\u2019 future.<\/p>\n With both Reaves and Luka Doncic now committed long term, Los Angeles can fully shift its focus toward building a roster capable of competing for championships.<\/p>\n READ MORE: NBA Draft 2026: Every Player From the First Round<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n