The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for a busy offseason after a disappointing first-round exit from the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. As good as some of the team's pieces are, LeBron James and Luka Doncic can't bring a title back to L.A. on their own, forcing general manager Rob Pelinka to get creative this summer.
Any major offseason reinforcements will have to be acquired via trade, though. The Lakers don't have much salary cap space to play around with, meaning familiar names will have to be shipped out if Pelinka & Co. want to add a legitimate difference-maker to play alongside James and Doncic.
Lakers Must Trade Austin Reaves While His Value is High
Of the potential Lakers trade candidates who could be moved this summer, Austin Reaves likely has the most value of the bunch. The former Oklahoma product went from being an undrafted afterthought to a legitimate starting presence in the NBA, and his 2024-25 performance perfectly encapsulated that fact.
Reaves, 26, is coming off a massive performance that saw him average career-highs in points (20.2), rebounds (4.5), assists (5.8), and steals (1.1), all while shooting 46.0% from the floor and 37.7% on 7.3 three-point attempts per night. Even though his performance dipped off in the playoffs, he still averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per outing.
As his performance improves with each passing season, the Lakers should be considering a trade before it's too late. Reaves will be eligible for an extension once the offseason officially begins, and he's going to be looking for a massive upgrade from the $13.9 million cap hit he's carrying in 2025-26, and will likely opt out of his $14.8 million player option in 2026-27.
Assuming that Reaves does test his worth in the open market a year from now, the Lakers would be wise to trade him soon rather than lose him for nothing. Even though they might not be able to get a comparable player back in return, his value could help the Lakers acquire multiple role players who can help make the roster more well-rounded overall.
The last thing the Lakers need is to overpay Reaves, only for his performance to regress. That's why Los Angeles' front office should at least listen to and entertain potential offers, even if it's only to get a better sense of the Newark, AR native's value.
With trade rumors likely to pick up before the 2025 NBA draft, don't expect discussions around the Lakers potentially dealing Reaves to end anytime soon.