Austin Reaves has been fun to watch in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.
The 27-year-old went undrafted in 2021, but Los Angeles allowed him to begin his professional career with arguably the most accomplished franchise in NBA history.
Reaves has rewarded the Lakers by improving his game each season and showcasing his ability to embrace a leadership role when necessary.
That said, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz’s recent trade idea would require the Lakers to send their No. 3 scoring option to a Western Conference foe.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for a franchise point guard to pair alongside Anthony Edwards, with their most recent experiment involving Donte DiVincenzo in the role,” Swartz wrote last Thursday.
“Austin Reaves is a better overall version of DiVincenzo, as he averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and shot 37.7% from three for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.”
“Contract concerns could cause the Lakers to sniff around Reaves’ trade market, however, as the 27-year-old will almost certainly decline a $14.9 million team option and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.”
There’s no question that it would be challenging for Los Angeles to relinquish Reaves to the team that eliminated them from playoff contention last season.
The Timberwolves have built a solid foundation in Minnesota, with Edwards running the show nightly.
In an ideal trade scenario, the Lakers would continue bolstering their new and improved frontcourt by adding Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert.
Randle is the more complete offensive weapon, but defensively, Gobert has the upper hand, as the 7-foot-1 center is known for being a Tier 1-2 rim protector/shot blocker in the big leagues.
Either way, the Lakers’ roster would still be in good shape if the organization ever elects to swap Reaves for Randle or Gobert in the foreseeable future.
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