The Los Angeles Lakers are an interesting place in the offseason.
After the first round of playoff exits, the LA Lakers will need to retool for the 2025/26 season. And one of the key challenges is to do so while retaining top assets.
LeBron James and Luka Donsic are back, but there are small question marks as to whether the Lakers can opt to trade Austin Reeves.
Reaves has the player option that will allow him to qualify for a major expansion in 2026, prompting debate as to whether the Lakers should try to trade him now.
One former player believes that the Reaves cannot play effectively for Luka Doncic, but this is eager to disprove the 27-year-old’s concept.
Austin Reeves has come a long way. His playoff performance was disappointing, but a few months ago he was described as “the third best option in the NBA” on multiple television shows and podcasts.
The Raves were signed as an undrafted pick by the Lakers and he had to fight to prove himself.
An interesting comparison was made at the start of his career, when his game was compared to his current teammate Luka Donsic.
Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel was quoted via the Guardian. “We were very expensive for him… I think how well he played.
Emphasizing that he means his words as complimentary words, Vogel added: “That was so impressive to me.”
Vogel, Reaves or Doncic could not expect the two players to team up with the Lakers in 2025.
But that was exactly what happened when the Dallas Mavericks made the strange decision to trade Don Chic in the midseason.
In court, Luka Donsic and Austin Reeves worked effectively as a trio with LeBron James, but were caught up in the playoffs.
But this wasn’t about them, it was about flaws in the size of the team, and it lacked a true center.
Earlier this year, Don Sic expressed his praise for Austin Reeves’ talent, commenting that he couldn’t believe he was not selected in the NBA Draft.
“It’s incredible that he’s not drafted. It’s not easy to play when drafted at this level, and just being around him is amazing.”
The Reaves contract is a dilemma for the Lakers, and he is their top trade asset, but there is a need for the temptation to keep him in place and allow him to develop the game with Doncic for a full season.