Lakers Rumors: No Talks About Austin Reaves Trade; 'Skepticism' over Dejounte Murray

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers are still looking for answers to make them an NBA Finals contender this season, they don't appear likely to include Austin Reaves in a potential deal before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers have shown "no interest" in trading Reaves.

One name that has popped up recently as being of interest to the Lakers is Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, but Woike noted there's "real skepticism" within the organization that he would "move the needle" for them.

The one constant for the Lakers in trade rumors and speculation this season has been they aren't looking to deal Reaves.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the pathway for a Murray-to-Los Angeles deal could include Reaves, but that "would require the Hawks to send back more value for Los Angeles' liking."

The Hawks have slipped to 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-22 record. Pairing Murray with Trae Young hasn't provided the boost they were expecting when they acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs in June 2022.

As a result of the ongoing struggles in Atlanta, Murray is becoming a very popular trade candidate. Fischer cited him as possibly the "next-best player" to be moved by the deadline after OG Anunoby was acquired by the New York Knicks.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam are the other high-profile trade candidates right now.

Murray signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Hawks last summer that doesn't even kick in until next season. His salaries range from $24.8 million to $28.8 million, plus a $30.8 million player option for 2027-28, so it shouldn't be impossible to move him if the Hawks want to move on.

The 27-year-old is having a solid season, averaging 21.3 points on 39.7 percent three-point shooting, 5.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game in 37 starts.

Reaves has been a bit of a disappointment this season after being a key factor in the Lakers' run to the Western Conference Finals. He's averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game, but his efficiency has gone down with a 48.0 field-goal percentage (34.3 percent from behind the arc) after shooting 52.9 percent overall (39.8 percent from behind the arc) last season.

The Lakers (19-20) have lost 10 of their last 15 games and fallen to 11th in the Western Conference standings. They are one game back in the win column of the Utah Jazz for the final spot in the play-in tournament.