Is Austin Reaves' ascension enough to stop Lakers' pursuit of star point guard?

Young's issues with the Hawks have been known for quite some time, with CBS' Bill Reiter reporting last season about the disconnect between Young and his teammates. 

There's no doubt about the offensive prowess of Young, who averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists last season. Reaves' stats last season weren't as eye-popping (13 PPG and 3.4 APG), but what he brings the Lakers goes far beyond his stats.

The Lakers have enough offensive firepower as it is, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis taking the lion's share of offensive possessions. The team's biggest needs are elite shooting to space the floor and perimeter defense, and Reaves brings both of these elements in spades. 

This past season, Reaves was a 39.8% three-point shooter and ranked seventh in eFG% for the entire league, per Cleaning The Glass. Reaves also only had a 16.6% usage last season, meaning he was able to contribute in a meaningful way without the ball in his hands. 

Young, on the other hand, posted a 37% usage rate, which was third in the league. With James being the one who wants to quarterback the offense, it makes little sense to bring in a player like Young, who is most effective with the ball in his hands. 

Last season, the Lakers were +8.8 points per 100 possessions with Reaves on the floor, and were -2.2 points better on defense. The eye test also backs this up.

Young's defensive shortcomings are well known, as the 6-foot-1 guard's lack of size makes him a target for other teams to exploit. 

This whole situation has shades of the Russell Westbrook debacle, in which the Lakers traded for the high-usage point guard who was ineffective without the ball in his hands and a net-negative defender. Although Young, who will be 25 at the start of the 2023-24 season, is much younger than Westbrook, who was 33 at the time of his trade to Los Angeles, he presents many of the same problems that plagued the team during Westbrooks' disastrous tenure. 

The Lakers found a winning formula by prioritizing elite role-players like Reaves instead of chasing the big names. They would be wise to stick to that formula going into the 2023-24 season.