Why The Lakers Had No Choice But To Pay Austin Reaves The Max | Brock & Alex

The Los Angeles Lakers have made a massive splash, officially signing Austin Reaves to a historic 4-year, $185 million maximum contract extension—making him the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history! In this exclusive segment from 97.1 The Fan LA, NBA Insider Jovan Buha (host of Buha's Block) joins the show to break down every angle of the Reaves blockbuster deal. Was it an overpay, or did AR-15 completely win the negotiation? Jovan reveals the massive external pressure coming from Detroit and Brooklyn that forced Rob Pelinka's hand. Plus, we dive into the next major dominoes for the Lake Show: resolving the LeBron James situation, finding a legitimate "A-List" starting center to match up with Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, and why the Lakers absolutely nailed the 2026 NBA Draft by stealing Baylor wing Cameron Carr at No. 24. Chapters 00:00 - 01:15 | Austin Reaves Signs Historic $185M Max Contract 01:16 - 02:30 | The Secret External Pressure From Detroit & Brooklyn 02:31 - 04:05 | What A Successful "Max Contract" Season Looks Like For AR-15 04:06 - 05:45 | LeBron James Resolution vs. Finding A Starting Big Man 05:46 - 07:30 | Why Mitchell Robinson & Robert Williams Are NOT "A-List" Targets 07:31 - 09:15 | Going All-In On Walker Kessler Or Jalen Duren Sign-and-Trade 09:16 - 11:00 | Draft Steal: How Cameron Carr Fits Next To Luka & Austin 11:01 - 12:14 | Why L.A. Fans Are Going To Love Cameron Carr’s Athleticism Subscribe to 97.1 The Fan LA for the best Los Angeles sports talk, breaking news, and expert analysis! #Lakers #AustinReaves #NBADraft #LeBronJames #LakeShow #LakersNews #CameronCarr #JovanBuha #971TheFanLA Thumbnail images provided by Getty Images. Subscribe for the latest Los Angeles sports news and videos!!! WEEKDAY SCHEDULE: D-Fish & Decker | 6:00 am to 10:00 am PST Brock & Alex | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm PST D-Mac & Reiter | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm PST Watch live on Twitch at   / thefanla   Follow 97.1 The Fan LA on social media:   / thefanla     / thefanla   https://x.com/TheFanLA   / thefan_la   https://www.threads.com/@thefanla