NBA analyst Bill Simmons is confident that the Los Angeles Lakers will decide Austin Reeves’ decision in the summer.
The Los Angeles Lakers took the third seed in the loaded Western Conference with an astounding run in the regular season.
However, the Lakers’ happiness was short-lived as the organization was sent home by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
There were a lot of purple and gold issues, but Austin was a key reason behind the early exit.
Following an overwhelming postseason run, Reeves’ future with the Lakers became the focus of debate.
Veteran NBA analyst Bill Simmons says there’s no doubt that the Lakers will trade the Leaves in the summer of 2025, that’s just a matter of what they’ll receive in exchange for the 26-year-old.
“When Reeves traded this summer and he traded, what they (the Lakers) will get back for him is going to make it worse that they (the Dallas Mavericks) didn’t take him to the deal,” Simmons said.
In a way, Simmons’ target was the Dallas Mavericks and their infamous Lukadon Chic trade. Veteran sports analysts believe the Lakers will get more assets to Reaves than MAV managed to get for Don Sic.
AR15 took part in the 2025 NBA Playoffs after having the best regular season of his career. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the Lakers.
He was undoubtedly the best scoring option for the team behind the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Luka Donsic. However, according to data provided by Sofascore, Reaves’ numbers will be playoff time.
The 26-year-old averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Even more noticeable is that the Reaves shot 41% from the field and 32% from the 3-point line.
He also had a rating of -7.4 plus or minus in the first round. Combining that with Reaves’ contract status, the Lakers can part with a talented security guard and add more help around the James Don Chic duo.