The Los Angeles Lakers are used to having roster pieces that nobody wants (see: Westbrook, Russell), so this week’s latest development will come as a pleasant surprise to them.
Sam Amico of Hoops Wire reported on Monday that Lakers guard Austin Reaves is receiving trade interest from several rival teams this offseason. Reaves is under contract for a measly $1.6 million next season and can become a restricted free agent next summer.
The 24-year-old Reaves was one of the few lights in the endless abyss for the Lakers last year. Like Alex Caruso before him, Reaves went from undrafted to unstoppable … sort of. Reaves averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 23.2 minutes per game as a rookie, also providing the Lakers with energetic defense and adequate three-point shooting.
On a team that is largely devoid of movable assets, Reaves could be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency trade chip for the Lakers. That said however, there are several reasons why Lakers fans do not want to see Reaves go.
