Austin Reaves Bio: Net Worth, Salary, and Professional Career

Austin Reaves has an exciting underdog journey in the NBA. From an undrafted player to a starter for the Los Angeles Lakers, Reaves is the epitome of hard work, dedication, and belief. Reaves is an intelligent player who has great shooting ability and a calm demeanor when under pressure. He plays with a toughness and energy every 5 minutes he is on the court, and has earned the nickname "Hillbilly Kobe" because of being from a humble part of the South and scoring ability that was unexpected.

Reaves' leadership has quickly matured, and he has become a fan favorite because of his clutch plays and has had the chance to live out his dreams. Off the floor, he is humble, ordinary, and always thinking about back home and the love he gets from his family. Reaves' importance has brought hope not only to small-town athletes, but he has also shown teams the importance of vetting character, drive, and competitiveness vs. athleticism or where you were drafted. It is a new style of smart, versatile guards.

Austin Reaves' Early Life

Austin Reaves was born in Newark, Arkansas, on May 29, 1998, in a tiny rural community that revolved around family, farming, and sports. Austin spent his formative years on a farm that spanned more than 300 acres, where he took on the values of hard work and discipline. Austin's parents, who were both former collegiate basketball players, set the option for him: he could work on the farm or practice basketball. Naturally, Austin chose basketball instead of farm labor.

Austin's older brother Spencer also played basketball and was an early influence on Austin. Austin eventually started to blossom by mid-season in high school when he started putting together some baskets. Austin's high school on one night during the regular season scored 57 points in one game, including 33 points in the fourth quarter!

Austin Reaves' parents, Brian Reaves and Nicole Wilkett, instilled hard work and academics consistently with Austin's upbringing, however, most importantly, Austin's non-stop support from his parents encouraged the environment to pursue his destiny, affording him the confidence to go into an unknown area and pursue his NBA journey despite being passed over.

Austin Reaves' Personal Information

Before he became a household name in the NBA, Austin Reaves developed his reputation through patience, hard work, and perseverance. From a small-town childhood in Arkansas to nonstop competition with superstars in the League, his story is a healthy blend of amazing talent and just relentless effort. Below is a quick snapshot of the significant details that make up who Austin Reaves has become, both on and off the court.

Austin Reaves Personal Life

Austin Reaves, like most athletes, has a public persona as a professional shooter. However, he is still a bit of a private person, despite the notoriety of basketball outside of the court. His humility and family values make it easy to understand who Austin is. He would often say that it was his upbringing and family that had aided him along his journey to this stage of his basketball career.

Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, he has a personality that remains grounded. Austin still loves to hang out with his family and visit his roots, which is clear to see as he constantly travels back to his hometown and supports its local events. Austin's older brother Spencer plays professionally overseas, and they share a close childhood bond. Austin noted that they are very similar in that when Spencer called him to talk about his experience, both sets of parents' values were ingrained in them, of humility, discipline, and work ethic. Austin’s grounded lifestyle reaffirms why he is relatable to fans and why his peers respect him.

Austin wants to be grounded whenever possible. Off the court, we are getting to know what he prefers as small moments with his family, in what is increasingly surreal for them both to be seen as burgeoning stars. The things he dislikes are the same things that have made him the person he is today.

Austin Reaves Parents

Austin Reaves' parents are Brian Reaves and Nicole Wilkett, who were both elite basketball players when they attended Arkansas State University. Brian, a point guard, was the third all-time leader in assists and had the intangibles of having a great sense of vision of the court and being a leader. Nicole was an all-conference forward and averaged in excess of 20 points in her senior year. Brian and Nicole not only handed Austin some awesome basketball genes, but they also handed him lessons on discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Brian and Nicole lived on a large farm in Arkansas. They used the overall structure of the farm, plus all three of their sons' sports, to give their family some discipline. They also let Austin choose every time he had the choice between working on a farm or spending time training in a gym.

Throughout all of this, Austin's sense of commitment to the game came from a place that added a pleasurable, structured activity in sports. Throughout the entire time that Austin's development as a quasi-professional basketball player, Brian and Nicole were a stupendous support system. They went to games, coached him when he was younger, and continued to support him when he wasn't drafted. Their ecosystem of support and encouragement, as well as their attitude with Austin through inconsistent moments on his journey, provided a cushion for his ability to develop confidence and eventually mental strength.

Austin Reaves Girlfriend

Austin Reaves' girlfriend is Jenna Barber. They met at Cedar Ridge High School in Newark, Arkansas, and started dating in October 2014. He was 16 and she was just 14. They have weathered it all together, high school, college, their professional careers, and now the NBA.

For Austin's career, Jenna has been extremely supportive, and it has not gone unnoticed. After getting an associate degree in science from the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville in 2020, she graduated from the University of Arkansas in December 2022, joined the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, and is now a student at Logan College of Chiropractic.

They like to do things together, such as golf, like when they attended the U.S. Open in 2023, and have travelled to places like Las Vegas, Spain, Abu Dhabi, and Hawaii. Jenna often documents their trips, Lakers games, and life together on social media and calls Austin "my person" and posts heartfelt tributes to him.

Even though Austin has a busy NBA schedule, his and Jenna's relationship still stands the test of distance. Most importantly, their foundation is built on mutual respect and support. Throughout all of Austin's career high and low experiences, Jenna has been a large integral part of his stability, happiness, and success.

Austin Reaves Contract

In July 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $53.8 million contract. The contract does not have any player or team options, making Reaves committed to the Lakers until 2027. This is a monumental growth for Reaves, who just became a Laker at the time he was undrafted. Austin Reaves' contract signifies his potential and consistent performance because it is anticipated to be a value signing, as Reaves is now locked into the champ roster of the Los Angeles Lakers.

This contract reflects on Reaves' confidence in himself, but also his ambition, trying to be on the tier of the top players in the league. The contract also gives Reaves an opportunity to focus on endorsement or long-term brand deals that would catapult Reaves and his emergence of social media recognition and financial growth.

Austin Reaves Salary

Austin Reaves’ salary currently reflects his ascent in the NBA. Reaves' salary is worth $13.9 million per season, so he is in the middle tier category among NBA salaries. Reaves’ base salary for the 2023–24 season was $12.02 million. Reaves will get $12.97 million in 2024–25, followed by $13.93 million and $14.89 89 million in 2025–26. These amounts make his contract very desirable for the Lakers, given his output and rising star.

The annual salary increase also indicates the Lakers' faith in his long-term production and output. What is more, a calling card of Reaves is his intelligence and decision-making with regard to money, mostly derived from family values and mentors, like LeBron James, on safe spending and saving.

Austin Reaves Net Worth

In 2025, Austin Reaves's net worth is projected to be around $4 million, which encompasses his NBA salary, endorsements, and off-the-court activities. His salary from the four-year deal he signed with the Lakers for roughly $54 million is his primary source of money. However, endorsements have become an increasingly important part of building his wealth. Reaves has endorsements with Rigorer (his very own signature shoe brand), Lemon Daddy, and the luxury car company Lexus.

In addition, he has a disciplined lifestyle when it comes to spending and investing, which has allowed him to grow his consumer savings. Given his popularity and recent international exposure, especially from playing for Team USA, we expect to see an increase in lucrative brand deals in the upcoming years.

Austin Reaves Career

The basketball adventure of Austin Reaves is one of perseverance and evolution. Starting in a small, rural Arkansas town as a kid, to becoming a key contributor to one of the most famous franchises in sports history (Los Angeles Lakers), Reaves is a professional player who climbed his way to the top.

After going undrafted during the 2021 NBA Draft, Reaves was signed by the Lakers as a two-way player before eventually cementing his payroll spot just ahead of the season start. Reaves' athletic composure and basketball IQ immediately stood out to fans and experts alike; combined with the ability to make timely plays, Reaves quickly helped deliver exciting moments to the franchise.

Reaves' versatility, basketball touch, and size quickly turned him into a versatile weapon. During his second and third seasons, Reaves logged numerous career-high scoring nights as well as his first triple-double and became an entrenched member of the Lakers' rotation. He also contributed to the Lakers' 2023 In-Season Tournament victory.

Reaves has adopted an ethos of humility, hard work, and determination. His ongoing story captures what it means to have talent, heart, and hustle, and when those attributes combine, they can overcome obstacles, even when you don’t get drafted.

Austin Reaves' High School Career

Austin Reaves began his career at Cedar Ridge High School in Newark, Arkansas, and promptly established himself as the state's top player. He won three state championships with his high school team and had an incredible number of individual performances.

In high school, one of his biggest games was when he scored 57 points, including 33 points in the fourth quarter alone. He started getting noticed and reached far beyond Arkansas. Reaves averaged over 32 points a game along with over 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game in his senior season.

He was a local legend in a small town! All the statistics were impressive, but Reaves, what a competitor! Austin's development in high school was successful, as not necessarily a highly recruited five-star player, but as a great player and competitive spirit started developing to be a professional athlete.

Austin Reaves College Career

Austin Reaves began his college career at Wichita State University, where he spent two years before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, where he was collegiate basketball's Next Big Thing. At Wichita State, Reaves had moments of fame, mainly as a shooter with the capability of making plays from three-point range, but with limited playing time, his numbers did not stack up. After transferring, Reaves did not play his first year, and then turned into the focal point at Oklahoma, after showing the coach what he could do.

In Reaves' senior year (2020-21), he averaged 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, was selected to the First-Team All Big-12, and earned praise for his decision making, shot making, and leadership, and had one of the best seasons of any collegiate player. Ultimately, Reaves engaged in a basketball metabolism of growth and persistence and adapted to different levels of competition, building on the no variance between the professional and collegiate ranks, one man's ceiling can be another man's floor.

After going undrafted in 2021, he had already performed with the equanimity that you would want to see in playing under pressure against elite programs. Austin Reaves' college career at Oklahoma especially transitioned him from a role player to a star, and he was prepared both mentally and physically to play at the next level of the NBA.

Austin Reaves' Professional Career

Austin Reaves came into the NBA undrafted in 2021, but he proved his value anyway. He initially signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers but was elevated to a standard contract before playing a game.

He entered the league with a game-winner against the Dallas Mavericks as a rookie and later racked up a triple-double, completing one of the only eight triple-doubles in Lakers history by a rookie. By the 2022–23 season, Reaves had earned a starting position, thanks to impressive playmaking and three-point shooting. He also became a big reason the Lakers captured the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament by contributing 28 points in the championship.

On reaching the 2024–25 season, Reaves averaged 20.2 points per game, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game with over 200 3-point field goals made (210): the league took notice. The Lakers consider him an important piece of their future, given his strong contributions in less than three seasons of play. Reaves modestly turned doubt into dominance in just a couple of seasons. Given below are Austin Reaves' stats:

Austin Reaves Shoes

Since launching Rigorer AR1 with the Chinese brand Rigorer, Austin Reaves is now recognized in the sneaker community on the same publicity level as other NBA players. The signature model was launched in 2023, and it has become increasingly popular in the sneaker community and among fans. The Rigorer AR1 is visually stunning and features lightweight cushioning, which Reaves was very methodical about developing. The personal touches on them symbolize the transition from traveling in Arkansas to the NBA.

There have been themed editions, such as the Valentine’s Day pink model that garnered attention on social media and in the sneaker community. Reaves also wore custom sneakers when celebrating the gender reveal of his brother's baby, which again blended family with his basketball personality.

The rigorer AR1 has become Reaves’s torch-bearing shoe and represents the direction he is heading in the public image realm, while continuing to expand globally, especially in Asia. As an emerging NBA star, Austin Reaves’s signature shoes have legitimized his brand, fan base, culture, and style on a holistic level.

Austin Reaves Jersey

Austin Reaves has solely worn jersey 15 while playing professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers. The number has quickly become a familiar sight for Lakers fans as merchandise continues to be sold, especially as he has grown into his role on the team. Home whites, away purple and gold, black "City Edition" jerseys, it doesn't matter what jersey Reaves is wearing because the number has come to represent the hustle and pursuit of highlight reel moments. Reaves' jerseys have become one of the hottest-selling jerseys on the Lakers roster, even among role players competing against some of the veterans.

Fans take pride in not just seeing the number, but what this number signifies: a player who has outperformed expectations to become a contributing player for one of the most prestigious teams. So far, there hasn't been a jersey change for Austin, and he continues to add to his legacy while wearing jersey 15. Whether it's a game-winning shot or a diving effort for a loose ball, Reaves still wears the number with pride and passion whenever there's an opportunity.

Austin Reaves Awards and Achievements

The story of Austin Reaves, who went from undrafted to an NBA success story, is filled with notable moments. However, one of the biggest strokes of success in Reaves's young career came in 2023 when he helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament by scoring 28 points in the finals.

Although he has not yet been an NBA All-Star, Reaves has made history by dropping career-high points in multiple games, with the most attention coming from a 45-point game in 2025. He recorded a rare rookie season triple-double, which illustrated his potential in being an all-around player. He played with Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where Team USA finished fourth, and Reaves gained recognition for his hustle and shooting. Reaves' steady growth, athletic ability, leadership, and relaxed resolve to the game have made him one of the most respected young players in the league. Many believe that Reaves will have achievements both individually and in groups accumulate as his career in the NBA progresses.