With the aim of adding a third star to their roster to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers are still engaged in trade negotiations.
Fans of the Lakers anticipated that Austin Reaves would be that player at the start of the season. The 25-year-old guard is playing well this season, but despite his amazing playoff run in 2023, he hasn’t developed into the All-Star level player the team had hoped for.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that the Lakers aren’t ready to give up on him and have rendered him virtually untouchable.
The main reason the Dejounte Murray talks fizzled out was the Lakers’ refusal to include Reaves in the negotiations. So it makes sense that they wouldn’t part with him in the absurd trade that Detroit beat writer James Edwards III suggested for players like Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Pistons.
There aren’t many players in the Lakers’ price range who are demonstrably better than Reaves, as Buha noted.
With his play the previous season, Reaves not only demonstrated that he could be a contender’s third-best player, but he also has a team-friendly contract. Los Angeles needs to see a glaring improvement in order to let him go.
Right now, the Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s ninth-best favorite to win the championship. Remember to register with FanDuel Sportsbook in order to get your $200 in bonus bets after making a $10 deposit and winning your first wager.
