Lakers Receive Stern Warning Amid Austin Reaves Trade Rumors

Newsweek

7 days ago

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The Los Angeles Lakers are entering an extremely important offseason for the future. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James leading the way, the front office will need to build a roster better suited to play alongside them.
In the playoffs, the Lakers struggled defensively. They also clearly needed a legitimate starting center. Both of those issues will need to be addressed.
One major rumor that has been swirling is that Austin Reaves may need to be moved to make the necessary improvements. Reaves is coming off of a career season in 2024-25 and moving him would be a tough pill to swallow for Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the second quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden on February 01, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the second quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden on February 01, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Photo byReaves played in 73 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 20.2 points per game to go along with 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. He shot 46 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Read more: Lakers Trade Rumors Spark Fiery Reaction From Austin Reaves' Agent
While the rumors are swirling around the 26-year-old guard, Los Angeles has received a strong warning about considering trading him.
CBS Sports analyst Robby Kalland does not think the Lakers should trade him for multiple reasons.
"It starts with basketball reasons for not trading Reaves, which leads with his ability to create for himself and others," Kalland wrote. "Having a secondary on-ball threat alongside Dončić and James is vital, especially come playoff time when defenses ratchet up their pressure."
He continued on, talking more about why having Reaves on the roster is so important for Los Angeles from a pure business perspective.
"From a business perspective, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to trade Reaves right now because there aren't many players out there who give you more production for the money Reaves is making," Kalland wrote. "You could find some guys on rookie deals who do (and none of them are available in a trade), but for a player on his second contract, Reaves at just shy of $14 million next season is a steal."
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Those arguments are both sound. However, the Lakers may need to get creative in order to become a serious NBA Finals contender.
Los Angeles will be one of the most intriguing teams to follow throughout the offseason. Rob Pelinka has a lot of work to do and he won't have a ton of financial room to make those moves. Trading Reaves could be one way to upgrade the roster.
All of that being said, trading Reaves could also end up being a massive mistake.
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