Austin Reaves, JJ Redick, Lakers, Austin Reaves trade
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Austin Reaves #15 speaks to head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena on December 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Phoenix Suns governor Mat Ishbia was quick to shoot down the possibility of his team swapping Dillon Brooks for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, a trade proposal floated by retired All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
It turns out his Lakers counterpart, Jeanie Buss, will not entertain such a move, either, as she values Reaves just as much as the Suns value their “culture shifter” Brooks.
Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Buss is the biggest supporter of Reaves — an impending free agent — within the Lakers organization and views him as untouchable in trades.
“[Jeanie Buss] is the captain of the Austin Reaves Fan Club,” Amick said on Tuesday’s episode of “Run it Back” on Fan Duel TV.
“And Rob Pelinka is a huge fan as well. Now, if Mark Walter [the new Lakers majority owner] sees things differently, then who knows what happens down the road.
“But, right now, all signs point to them paying Austin Reaves that massive amount coming his way this summer.”
Amick further noted that Buss will remain the governor of the Lakers for at least another five years despite the change of ownership.
Austin Reaves: Impending Free Agent
Reaves, averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds on 50% shooting, is in for a massive payday this offseason.
While the Lakers, who own his full Bird Rights, can offer him a five-year, $241M max contract, other teams can offer a four-year, $178.5M deal in free agency. Some have compared Reaves’ situation to that of James Harden in 2012, when “The Beard” broke away from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to build his own legacy in Houston.
Reaves, though, has repeatedly stressed his desire to remain in L.A., even hinting at taking a pay cut to stay with the franchise that took a chance on him in 2021.
Should Lakers Explore Austin Reaves Trade?
DeMarcus Cousins isn’t alone in his thought process that the Lakers should explore an Austin Reaves trade for Dillon Brooks or another defensive-minded wing.
Analytics guru Tom Haberstroh argued in a recent Substack feature that the Lakers had no shot at competing for a championship with Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the same lineup, citing their collective issues on the defensive end.
“All three players deserve better: Doncic needs better defenders and athletes; LeBron can’t be playing 35.4 minutes per game; Reaves deserves a chance to be The Guy,” Haberstroh wrote on Dec. 22.
Further to Haberstroh’s point, Doncic (3.45), James (3.45) and Reaves (3.64) are three of the 15 slowest players in the league based on how much ground they cover defensively. No other team has even two players in the top-20.
“In their current forms, Doncic, James and Reaves represent three of the most offensively-skewed stars in the league,” he wrote. “You can have one or maybe two of these all-world-offense-but-please-hide-me-on-defense stars and expect to win at the highest levels. But three? Good luck.”
“Having multiple guys who need to be hid defensively spreads a defense thin. Three guys? It’s untenable. For those who are serious about winning,” he added.