Given their current circumstances, the Los Angeles Lakers have no other option but to trade Austin Reaves this offseason.
If there's one thing that became abundantly clear this season for the Los Angeles Lakers, it's the fact that even with two players as great as Luka Doncic and LeBron James, this supporting cast is not good enough to win a championship. Heading into the NBA offseason, a big move is needed if the Lakers are going to emerge as a serious championship contender in the Western Conference.
With limited assets, that only means one thing - Austin Reaves almost certainly has to be on the trade block this offseason. That's not necessarily a knock on Reaves for a disappointing or inconsistent showing in the NBA Playoffs. That's the price of doing championship business. The Lakers need a talent upgrade, and trading Reaves is probably the only realistic path toward accomplishing that this offseason.
Why the Lakers should trade Austin Reaves
To be perfectly honest, that decision only becomes that much easier after it's been speculated that Reaves could end up declining a contract extension this summer and opt to hit the open free agency market after the 2025-26 season. Essentially, Reaves could decide to bet on himself and then choose to test his market next summer. That's perfectly fair, and he has every right to do that.
At the same time, if that is indeed the case, the Lakers should probably prepare for the worst-case scenario, which is Reaves leaving in free agency. The best way to do that, arguably, is to trade Reaves this summer for a player that could be considered a talent upgrade and for one who could possibly get this Lakers team over the hump in the West.
The Lakers have consistently said they don't want to trade Reaves. And how could you blame them? He's on a team-friendly deal and is a good player. However, at a certain point, if the Lakers want to make a championship move, they'll have to give up something to get something. The Lakers aren't sitting in a pool of great assets. Reaves is probably at the top of the list of the assets that Los Angeles would be willing to trade.
Now with Luka at the center of the build, there's no time to play it safe. The Lakers need to go all-in on winning a championship, especially while they still have LeBron James on the roster. Unfortunately, trading Reaves could be the only way for the Lakers to significantly upgrade the roster this summer.