The Los Angeles Lakers are undergoing a lot of changes right now, but Austin Reaves’ continued place on the roster isn’t likely to be one of them.
The Lakers have shown no indication that they are going to be trading away Reaves this offseason, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported during an appearance Wednesday on “The Dan Patrick Show.” Reaves noted that the Reaves has the faith of both the organization and of star player Luka Doncic.
“The Lakers believe in Austin Reaves,” said Woike. “Luka Doncic believes in Austin Reaves.”
The 27-year-old Reaves, a fan-favorite homegrown Laker, has been the subject of widespread trade rumors in recent months (with some top media figures even going so far as to guarantee a Reaves trade). That is because of a number of different factors, including Reaves’ contract (he is about to enter his final guaranteed season on his current deal with the Lakers before being able to test free agency) and the unbalanced nature of the Lakers’ roster (featuring dangerously few playable big men).
Reaves, who was a 20-ppg scorer this season, is by far the best asset the Lakers have at their disposal as well. Other than Reaves, the only real value that they have to offer rival teams would be Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura, and one future first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032).
Still, there do not appear to be any impactful big men on the trade market right now who would be worth parting ways with Reaves for. While Reaves’ reported salary demands could be a major problem for the Lakers, it sounds like the team is willing to wait things out, possibly until the trade market develops closer to the February deadline.
