SUMMARY
- The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly made it clear that Austin Reaves is not available for trade.
- Analyst Jake Fischer suggests that the Lakers are facing challenges in potential trade scenarios involving D'Angelo Russell.
Amid circulating trade rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly made clear that Austin Reaves is not for sale. Despite the ongoing discussions surrounding potential roster changes, the Lakers have firmly kept Reaves off the trading block. This decision highlights his crucial role on the team.
Reaves signed a 4-year, $56 million contract in the offseason and has been a standout player for the Lakers. Averaging an impressive 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, he has emerged as a strong contender for the 6th Man of the Year award.
The Lakers’ trust in Reaves can be seen by their refusal to consider him in trade talks. According to analyst Jake Fischer, there is a lack of interest from other teams in potential trade scenarios involving D’Angelo Russell, which limits the Lakers’ options to strengthen their roster, and they are not sending Reaves because he is their third-best player.
“There’s a lot of people very frustrated, a lot of agents calling the front office frustrated about their guys not getting the right opportunities.” Fischer said. “And if you do want to look at potential trade scenarios the strategy of like resigning D’Angelo Russell to a theoretical tradable salary at $20 million, I’m not hearing from my calls around the league a ton of interest in that trade chip coming back.”
He added: “I don’t really know what the Lakers are going to be able to do to upgrade this team if they’re not sending Austin Reaves out the door which of course they don’t want to do that. He’s their third-best player.”
The Lakers are NOT interested in trading Austin Reaves, per @JakeLFischer
(More here: https://t.co/TipaNOP9La) pic.twitter.com/YEyFuYdWx8
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 10, 2024
The Lakers’ decision to take this stand shows how valuable Reaves is to the team and how they plan to build around his talent. As the trade deadline approaches, it appears increasingly likely that Reaves will continue to be a crucial part of the Lakers’ strategy moving forward.
NBA insider says the Lakers prefer to retain their depth
As the NBA trade deadline of February 9th comes near, the Los Angeles Lakers face decisions that could reshape their team. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated that the Lakers are not looking to make any big moves and would prefer to retain their current depth, including their last first-round pick that they’re eligible to trade.
Windhorst says the Lakers sure don’t want to trade Reaves and his good contract or exchange multiple players as they did in the Russell Westbrook case. The organization believes in its current formula, which includes a group of long defenders supporting their future Hall of Famers.
“Yes, they can’t shoot and it’s a problem. Yes, their defense has fallen off and it’s a problem. But if they end up doing something significant, it will probably be kicking and screaming. Keep that in mind when evaluating your visits to the trade machine.” Windhorst stated.
“The Lakers don’t want to have to make a big move, they prefer to retain their depth and the one last first-rounder they’re allowed to trade…They believe in the formula they have, which is a cadre of long defenders supporting future Hall of Famers.”
– Brian Windhorst
(Via… pic.twitter.com/EhblypR410
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 9, 2024
The coming weeks are crucial for the Lakers as they deal with the trade market. The team, currently in the 10th spot in the Western Conference, needs to carefully consider their options.