Dec 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts in the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Insider Questions Austin Reaves’ Long-Term Value for LA

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 4:30 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers were rumored all offseason to be exploring the idea of trading Austin Reaves after he had a horrendous playoffs against the Timberwolves.

Reaves was not able to score at the rate that he did in the regular season or play good enough perimeter defense. Still, he showed he's a valuable scorer throughout the regular season.

Reaves is still coveted around the rest of the NBA. In a couple of years, he could leave the Lakers for a massive increase in pa y. One insider believes that's a good reason to trade him now.

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Lakers insider believes they should trade Austin Reaves

According to Michael Pina of The Ringer, the Lakers should look to trade Reaves. He claims that Reaves is too bad on defense and will also be too expensive for their future.

Those are fair points, even if the Lakers have said publicly that they want to keep Reaves for as long as possible. He is a very strong offensive player on a team with two other superstars.

With the new cap penalties in the CBA, they ha ve to figure out a way to keep the team affordable while still being very competitive. They can't risk Reaves walking for nothing.

Because of the contract extension that Reaves signed a couple of years ago, he can actually get a bigger raise if he leaves Los Angeles. Rob Pelinka should look into moving him so that doesn't happen.

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The Los Angeles Lakers might assess at the deadline whether or not to trade Reaves

Seeing how good the team is at the trade deadline is probably the smartest move to see if they want to move Reaves. That means that they have to look at what they could possibly get for him in return.

If the Lakers are going to trade him, they should look at doing so before other teams know that they need to move him. That would end up losing them value in any return for him.

This past season, Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He shot 46 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.