Lakers See Austin Reaves as ‘Pillar’ Amid Trade Rumors, But Center Search Looms

While trade speculation continues to swirl around guard Austin Reaves, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka offered a firm endorsement this week, referring to Reaves as one of the franchise’s three foundational pieces, alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

“When your foundation for those three players is that they’re players of high character and a highly competitive nature, that’s the perfect starting point,” Pelinka said, via The Southern California News Group. “LeBron, selfless, high character. All he cares about is winning. Luka Doncic, the same. Austin Reaves, the same.”

Reaves, 26, is coming off a strong regular season but struggled during the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves. He remains on a team-friendly contract and holds a $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which he’s widely expected to decline, according to Price.

Despite Pelinka’s public support, Reaves’ name continues to surface in trade discussions, largely due to the team’s need for frontcourt help and his value as a cost-controlled contributor. In a recent column for The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke made the case for dealing Reaves in exchange for a legitimate center, citing both the team’s roster imbalance and the guard’s imperfect on-court fit alongside Doncic.

Plaschke acknowledged Reaves’ growth, grit, and popularity but suggested that the Lakers may not have a better trade chip — assuming Doncic and James are off-limits, as expected.

So far, the Lakers have reportedly shown “no interest” in moving Reaves unless they’re offered a “top-tier” big man in return, according to The Times’ Dan Woike. The market, however, may not cooperate. Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and Dallas’ Daniel Gafford have been loosely linked to L.A., but neither player is considered elite, and neither appears to be readily available.

For now, Reaves remains a Laker. Whether that holds remains to be seen. As always, the Lakers insist they’re building something around James and Doncic.

Whether Reaves is still standing beside them when it’s done may come down to whether a big man worth pivoting for becomes available.