The Los Angeles Lakers are entering one of their most critical offseasons in years. With Luka Doncic now in the mix alongside LeBron James, the team needs to retool quickly if they want to chase another championship. After a playoff run that exposed issues—especially on defense and at the center position—there’s real pressure on the front office to make bold moves.
One of those rumored moves? Trading away Austin Reaves.
Reaves just wrapped up a career-best season, putting up 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting an efficient 46% from the field and nearly 38% from three. He played in 73 games and became a consistent contributor for the Lakers on both ends of the floor.
But if the Lakers want to add a legit big man or defensive help, some think Reaves may be the piece they have to move. That idea, however, isn’t sitting well with everyone.
CBS Sports analyst Robby Kalland weighed in with a pretty stern warning for L.A., saying trading Reaves would be a mistake—on the court and financially. He pointed out that Reaves is a key secondary playmaker, something that becomes even more important in the playoffs when defenses tighten up on stars like Luka and LeBron.
Kalland also made a strong business case: “You’re not going to find many players on a second contract producing at this level for under $14 million a year,” he said. “Unless you’re getting a rookie on a bargain deal—which you won’t in a trade—it doesn’t make sense.”
There’s no doubt GM Rob Pelinka has his hands full. The Lakers don’t have a lot of financial wiggle room, and creative trades may be their only way to improve. But moving Reaves could backfire big time if they’re not careful.
All eyes will be on Los Angeles this offseason. One wrong move could derail the next title shot.
Lakers Warned: Trading Austin Reaves Could Be a Big Mistake
