Austin Reaves Trade Would Help LeBron, Luka, Lakers' Title Chase amid NBA Rumors

Few NBA trios can match the collective talent level the Los Angeles Lakers have in LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.

There are, however, a bunch of three-man combinations that more cleanly fit together than this one.

That's the simplest reason to explain why Reaves keeps getting mentioned in trade speculation. While it surely didn't help that he flopped in the postseason, these discussions are much more about projecting forward than they are about looking back.

Despite the rumblings, though, "no one [at the draft combine] is acting like a trade is going to happen this summer," Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported. The skepticism, Woike relayed, draws from a number of factors, like the Lakers' admiration for Reaves, his bargain contract and the fact that what they'd seek in return—a "foundationally important" center—isn't currently found on the trade market.

Those are all factors worth pointing out. So, too, is the fact Reaves only has one guaranteed season left on his contract and will assuredly decline his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, per Spotrac, so that future uncertainty potentially drops his value in a deal.

Yet, none of the above should make him off-limits in an exchange. Because none of the above outweighs his imperfect fit with this imbalanced roster.

Set aside the Lakers' glaring void at center for a moment. Think of all the different archetypes you'd ideally want serving as third option alongside James and Dončić. How far down the list would you have to go before getting to an offense-first guard who does most of his best work with the ball in his hands and faces pretty severe defensive limitations?

To be clear, Reaves is an objectively good player. He just netted a career-high 20.2 points per game—as a third option—with an efficient 46/37.7/87.7 shooting slash line to boot. He also averaged 5.8 assists—while not the primary (or, at times, even secondary) playmaker—and only 2.4 turnovers.

This isn't about him.

It's the construction of this club, or really the flaws within it.

L.A.'s lack of size was repeatedly exploited by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their opening-round triumph. What also hurt the Lakers, though, was inconsistent perimeter shooting and a general lack of two-way talent. Their defenders couldn't score, and their scorers couldn't get stops.

That's not all on Reaves—though the Wolves did hunt him on defense—but he might be the one who pays the price for those problems. Because he's their best bet for correcting at least one of them.

His trade value should be quite high. There aren't a ton of players matching his production, let alone ones doing so while collecting a salary south of $14 million. Not to mention, he could realistically improve those numbers in an offense where he isn't the third mouth to be fed.

Now, it's not like he would anchor a blockbuster deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Reaves could have enough value to get this group the athletic, rim-running center it so desperately needs and more. And there are options as far as what that more could be, whether it's another three-and-D wing, a backup ball-handler or perhaps the draft assets to chase those kinds of players in separate deals.

While it's quite possible he'd be the best player involved in the trade, it's also quite probable that the puzzle pieces would be better aligned once a deal is done. And that's how the whole potentially becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

If the Lakers want to hold their own in next season's championship race, the path forward is obvious—and a little painful. Sacrificing Reaves is going to sting, but the pain will be worth it to make this team better prepared for postseason success.