Rival ‘Would Covet’ Lakers’ Young Star Austin Reaves In Trade For Former All-Star

The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Zach LaVine for quite some time now. They have a few great players to offer and get LaVine. Some of these players will be eligible for a trade after December 15. Austin Reaves could also end up on the Lakers trade block, but the team may think twice before trading the talented player away.

Shams Charania from The Athletic discussed the chance to see LaVine or any other player join the Lakers in the near future. According to him, the Lakers will have to give up on Reaves if they want to add a new name to the roster. Reaves has shown great skills and has attracted the attention of NBA analysts. He is a valuable asset and the Lakers may not be able to keep him around if they want to pull out any trade move.

“I expect [the Lakers] to express interest in Zach LaVine,” Charania said on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” on November 28. “If you’re if you’re the Lakers and you’re out there trying to pursue a third star – whether that’s Zach LaVine, anyone else that becomes available – the player that teams will ask about is Austin Reaves, 100%. The Bulls, I’m sure, would covet Austin Reaves in any potential Zach LaVine trade, as any team would.”

Lakers will think twice before agreeing to trade Reaves

The Lakers lost some games in the regular season and could use some help at this point. It’s not like they cannot thrive with the current squad at all. Head coach Darvin Ham has a great group competing every night.

Reaves signed a four-year deal in the offseason. He averages 13.1 points on 52.3% true shooting in the first eight games of the season. In the last 10 games, he averaged 14.5 points per game on 63.2% true shooting. The young Laker is doing an excellent job off the bench.

AR was dishin' em. pic.twitter.com/k0purmIe5a

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 26, 2023

Getting LaVine makes sense in so many aspects. The Lakers tried to get him in 2022 and he was unrestricted free agent back then. LaVine decided to sign with the Chicago Bulls, but he is still a desirable target.

LaVine averages 21.0 points on 56.6% true shooting this season. He is prone to injuries and has already had a few to fix his ACL tear. The talented player also had an arthroscopic procedure before the 2022-23 NBA season. He also deals with a foot injury that forced him to leave the game against the Boston Celtics on November 28. The Bulls have a 5-14 start of the season.

“To this point, the Lakers have not been inclined to move Austin Reaves,” Charania continued. “I think if you’re the Lakers you’re going to take a prudent approach.”