The Los Angeles Lakers are an attention-grabbing spot within the offseason as they appear to reshape their roster.
After a primary spherical playoff exit, the LA Lakers need to retool for the 2025/26 season. And one of many key challenges is making an attempt to take action, whereas holding onto their high property.
Whereas LeBron James and Luka Doncic will return, there’s a little query mark over whether or not the Lakers might select to commerce away Austin Reaves.
Reaves has a participant possibility in 2026, when he’ll turn into eligible for a giant extension, prompting debate over whether or not the Lakers ought to attempt to commerce him now, realizing they may not have the ability to afford to pay him afterward.
One former participant believes Reaves can not play successfully with Luka Doncic, however this can be a notion the 27-year-old will likely be eager to disprove.
Austin Reaves has come a good distance. His playoff performances had been disappointing, however a couple of months in the past, he was being talked about as ‘one of the best third possibility within the NBA’ on a number of TV exhibits and podcasts.
Reaves was signed by the Lakers as an undrafted decide, and he has needed to battle to show himself.
An attention-grabbing comparability was made at first of his profession, the place his sport was in comparison with present teammate Luka Doncic.
Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel was quoted through The Guardian: “We had been very excessive on him… I used to be exceptional how nicely he performed. I keep in mind considering he was a smaller, a poor man’s Luka, with the best way he performed in decide and roll.
Underlining that he meant his phrases as a praise, Vogel added: “It was that spectacular to me.”
No person, Vogel, Reaves or Doncic, might have anticipated that the 2 gamers could be teaming up on the Lakers in 2025, with JJ Redick as head coach.
However that was precisely what occurred when the Dallas Mavericks made their weird choice to commerce Doncic away midseason.
On the courtroom, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves labored successfully as a trio with LeBron James, however got here unstuck within the playoffs.
However this was much less about them, and extra in regards to the staff’s dimension deficiencies, missing a real middle.
Talking earlier this yr, Doncic expressed admiration for Austin Reaves’ expertise, commenting that he couldn’t imagine that he was not chosen within the NBA Draft.
“For him to go undrafted is unbelievable. It’s not straightforward to go undrafted and play at this stage and it’s superb simply to be by his facet.”
Whereas Reaves’ contract is a dilemma for the Lakers, and he’s their high commerce asset, there needs to be a temptation for the staff to maintain him put, and permit him to develop his sport alongside Doncic for a full season.
