Since LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, the team hasn’t focused much on developing young talent. This is a frequent critique of James-led teams, which are often said to trade away draft picks and young players for seasoned veterans.
However, Austin Reaves has been a notable exception. Despite being undrafted, the guard emerged as a starting-level player in his second season and sustained that level of performance this season. While he had some difficulties with his 3-point shooting, he improved his scoring average and increased his assists by 2.1 per game compared to the previous season.
The Lakers have reportedly been adamant about not including Reaves in any trade discussions, including those involving the Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray midseason. According to Jovan Buha, this stance remains unchanged as the free agency and trade season approaches.
Via The Athletic:
“The Lakers would also prefer to keep Austin Reaves, according to team and league sources,” Buha wrote. “They previously refrained from including him in trade talks for Murray at the 2024 trade deadline and Kyrie Irving at the 2023 trade deadline. Reaves’ playoff performances in 2023 and 2024 have affirmed his fit around [LeBron] James and [Anthony] Davis.”
The issue is that Reaves is one of their most valuable trade assets, aside from their future first-round draft picks. To acquire a third star like Donovan Mitchell, or even to target someone like Murray, they might need to consider trading Reaves.
Reaves is a talented player, but it’s unlikely he’ll become an All-Star. Therefore, Los Angeles shouldn’t overvalue him as a potential future All-Star in trade discussions with other teams.
