Austin Reaves signs his first multi-million dollar shoe deal with Chinese brand: Photos, contract details and more

Austin Reaves is set to sign a deal with Chinese shoe company Rigorer that is reportedly worth around seven figures. Reaves had a breakout campaign in his second season with the LA Lakers and was clearly the third-best player for the team in the playoffs.

Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news on Twitter along with Reaves and his first signature shoe called Rigorer AR1. The Lakers guard feels blessed for having his own shoe even though he's just in his second year in the league as an undrafted player.

"Honestly, blessed," Reaves said.

"Like I said earlier if you have told me that I had a signature shoe at 18, I would look at you and called you a liar. There's probably like 20-something people in the NBA that have a signature shoe.

"Honestly, I'm blessed to play basketball for a living. I just have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what's going on."

According to Bleacher Report, Rigorer will pay Austin Reaves an annual salary of around $1 million. The length of the deal has not been made public but it's expected to be a multi-year partnership.

ESPN's Nick DePaula released the first look at the Rigorer AR1 shoes.

Here's Reaves rocking his signature shoe:

Rigorer is a Chinese sporting goods brand that produces basketball products and other protection gear. They were founded in 2014 by former CBA player Lin Chenyao. Reaves is the first NBA player to sign with the brand but he's not the first one to join a Chinese shoe company.

Klay Thompson is the face of Anta, while Dwyane Wade has been with Li Ning since 2012. Aaron Gordon is the brand ambassador for 361 Degrees, and Jeremy Lin is signed by XTEP. Peak is also a Chinese company that sponsors players such as Andrew Wiggins and Lou Williams.

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Austin Reaves to hit free agency this summer

Austin Reaves of the LA Lakers

Austin Reaves will be a restricted free agent this offseason. He will surely have suitors after his performance in the playoffs. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 46.4% from the field, including 44.3% from beyond the arc.

The LA Lakers can match any contract Reaves signs in free agency though it could depend on their cap space. They might let him walk if a team overpays him, with his future contract estimated to be from $50 million to $100 million.

The Lakers made a mistake in 2021 when they let Alex Caruso walk in free agency. They are likely not making the same mistake with Reaves this summer. One of the teams linked to the 25-year-old guard is the Houston Rockets.

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