With the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ending on Monday night, fans should expect trade rumors centered on Austin Reaves to ramp up quickly.
The 6-foot-5 star guard is the Lakers’ most valuable trade chip moving forward, and it isn’t up for debate. Reaves' postseason struggles were on full display, but the Oklahoma product was a playmaking wizard during the regular season.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game, shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc in 51 contests (he battled injuries throughout the year).
If the Lakers want to go all-in for the Milwaukee Bucks’ 10-time All-Star and NBA champion this offseason, Heavy’s Max Dible believes including Reaves in a potential trade is a requirement.
“The hypothetical blockbuster trade could work out well for Reaves also, as the Lakers would be incentivized to pay him closer to the max so as to get the money closer to a match in a deal for (Giannis) Antetokounmpo,” Dible wrote Monday.
“For instance, if Los Angeles extends Reaves on a five-year deal worth $45 million annually, then the Lakers only need to package another $13-plus million in salary with Reaves to make the money work under league rules.”
“Los Angeles could package another single player, or perhaps two players, the Bucks like to fill in the personnel side.”
Antetokounmpo’s stint with the Bucks is likely coming to an end. ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Bucks will entertain trade offers involving the 31-year-old superstar effective immediately.
The Lakers should be one of those teams, as it’s time to experiment with an Antetokounmpo-Luka Doncic duo rather than keep the Reaves-Doncic pairing intact.
For whatever reason, Reaves shrinks when it matters most, making it logical for the Lakers to give Antetokounmpo a chance to do what Reaves has failed to do in Los Angeles thus far: excel under the bright lights.
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