Lakers have one condition to trade Austin Reaves

A couple of years ago, fans and media speculated about Austin Reaves' future with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The team has made big efforts to keep their former undrafted free agent in town, giving him back-to-back contracts and his first big-money deal this offseason.

That said, the Lakers are Luka Doncic's team first and foremost, and while Reaves is their second-best player, big-market teams are always hunting for the bigger fish.

That doesn't mean Reaves isn't safe. According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, the Lakers would only consider moving him to land a superstar.

The Lakers would only trade Austin Reaves for a star

“One other thing I’ve consistently said through the years with my understanding of how the Lakers view Austin is if they moved Austin, it is going to be for an upgrade, not going to be splitting him into multiple players. I think it would be Austin plus draft capital to get a better player, not Austin for two or three pieces,” Buha said.

This approach makes perfect sense. He's a fan favorite who has earned his stripes with the organization.

He's a product of the franchise's pipeline and strong development staff, going from a two-way contract to starting and playing big minutes in the playoffs.

According to Basketball Reference, he averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season on 49 percent from the floor and 36 percent from deep.

And while pairing him with Doncic leaves the Lakers with obvious defensive concerns, he's clearly outplayed his draft stock and has proven to be one of the league's best players. 

Still, given how quickly things can change in the NBA, plus the Lakers' knack for landing top talent, fans should never say never.