The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly not interested in trading fourth-year guard Austin Reaves despite rumors and speculation that the team is pursuing a move to improve their roster.
Lakers Trade Rumors: Austin Reaves will likely stay put alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis
During an appearance on “Buha’s Block,” beginning at the 20-minute mark of the video below, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Lakers don’t want to part ways with Reaves, saying:
“They’ve been mostly stagnant for almost two years now in terms of making moves. And they’ve been very reluctant, specifically, to discuss Austin Reaves who I only highlight because he’s a good, young player on a very team-friendly contract that would inspire other teams to play ball, negotiation-wise. But that, to my knowledge, is still a non-starter.”
According to Basketball-Reference, Reaves is the Lakers’ third-leading scorer, trailing superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Arkansas native leads the supporting cast of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and Co.
Reaves, 26, went undrafted out of the University of Oklahoma in 2021 and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Lakers. The 6-foot-5 guard demonstrated impressive sharp-shooting and ball-handling skills during his rookie season.
Reaves signed a four-year, $53.93 million contract extension last July
In Los Angeles’ 146-141 regular-season finale overtime win against the Denver Nuggets on April 10, 2022, he recorded his first career triple-double, amassing a career-high 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in 41 minutes as a starter.
Reaves then finished seventh in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2022-23 after averaging 13 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 28.8 minutes per game while shooting career bests of 52.9% from the field, 39.8% from 3-point range, and 86.4% at the foul line.
Since then, Reaves has moved into the starting lineup and he has continued to improve, averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds last season, and a career-high 16.7 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals so far this season.
Reaves also signed a four-year, $53.83 million contract extension last July, tying him to the Lakers through at least the 2025-26 season. His deal includes a 15% trade bonus and a 2026-27 player option that is worth $14.89 million.
Although the Lakers could use an All-Star center, it would be unwise for the team to trade a young player who is both productive and affordable. This may explain why general manager Rob Pelinka is hesitant to shop Reaves.
