Trade rumors about the Los Angeles Lakers only got stronger as the team’s losses started to pile up. Although the purple and gold have appeared to be turning the corner, the team still needs to add players before the trade deadline in order to fulfill its ultimate dream of taking home the NBA Championship.
D’Angelo Russell has been the most talked-about player in these trade rumors. After Russell signed his two-year contract in the summer, trade rumors began to circulate, and they have only gotten stronger over time. Even Russell’s strong performance hasn’t been enough to stop these rumors.
The Lakers have other options besides trading Russell. Austin Reaves is the most valuable asset that Los Angeles can trade. Lakers supporters have only heard about Reaves’ untouchability and refusal to be traded up to this point.
But like with nearly every player in the league, there comes a point at which the Lakers are powerless to refuse. What kind of player the Lakers would need to move on from Reaves was revealed by Jovan Buha of The Athletic in a recent piece dissecting possible trade packages with the Detroit Pistons.
Reaves is not something the Lakers would be interested in trading. The deal for a definite third would be the exception.
Lakers agreed to trade Austin Reaves to Lauri Markannen for
The likelihood of the Lakers genuinely taking a shot at Lauri Markannen is quite low, as Buha mentioned earlier. Markannen won’t be shopping, and the team won’t be able to let him go without a grandfather offer.
However, that illustrates how highly the Lakers regard Reaves. This deal can only go through if the team acquires a legitimate third all-star. Even though he is incredibly gifted, Dejounte Murray does not match that description.
Without a doubt, Reaves is a fantastic player and is well-liked by both the team and the fan base. But perhaps this is an instance of the
That does not imply that the Lakers ought to buy Reaves at the last minute. The team would need to get a deal that greatly improves the team’s chances of winning the championship if they were to trade him. Making him untouchable, though, would be going too far.
Should the Lakers trade someone like Murray for Reaves? Most likely not. However, it is at least worthwhile to talk to the purple and gold if a player between Murray and Markannen becomes available.
