Austin Reaves Should Be Untouchable in Lakers’ Eyes After Christmas Win

After his 26-point triple-double and game-winning shot on Christmas Day, Austin Reaves proved once again why the Los Angeles Lakers simply cannot trade him, either to rebuild or get a star player.

Reaves is the asset that keeps this Lakers franchise from turning into absolute turmoil. When he is on the floor, the Lakers have the best shot at winning. “Hillbilly Kobe” is averaging 17.4 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 25 games this season. He may not be the best at anything other than maybe his effort, but Reaves is very good in clutch time, whether LA needs a steal, a bucket, or a defensive stop.

The 26-year-old guard resembles Derek Fisher in a lot of aspects. Reaves is only in his fourth season in the league. He was undrafted. Teams didn’t think he was physical enough to be a two-guard and didn’t have a good enough handle to be a point guard. Reaves just keeps proving his doubters wrong.

Recently, there have been some trade rumors involving Austin Reaves. If the Lakers want to trade for a high-salary star, Reaves almost has to be included in a deal, as he has the most trade value of any Laker outside of AD and LeBron. He was mentioned as a potential trade piece in a Zach LaVine deal by Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley. Fortunately, the Lakers are reportedly hesitant to include Reaves right now.

Reaves does have a desirable contract, however, if you take away the soul of a team, really, what is left to play for? Reaves must be a building block for the next few years for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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