Ex-Lakers champion calls for the team to trade Austin Reaves

A former Los Angeles Lakers champion is cooking up a piping-hot take this week.

Retired ex-NBA forward Robert Horry spoke on the Lakers during the latest episode of his “Big Shot Bob Podcast.” At one point, the conversation turned to popular Lakers swingman Austin Reaves.

Horry said that he thinks the Lakers should trade away Reaves due to the positional overlap with Luka Doncic.

“If they were smart, they would do a sign-and-trade [of Reaves],” said Horry, per HoopsHype. “And the reason I say that is because when you have a team with two players who are pretty much the same, meaning Luka and AR, and I’m not saying they have the same skill set. They play the same position, they pretty much do the same thing. It’s a wash.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love AR and I think he could play,” Horry added. “But you don’t need two of the same players. You think about the NBA, [it] is all about a fit. You look at all the great teams, they all have something different. There’s no two no Jokers [Nikola Jokic]. There’s no two Giannises [Giannis Antetokounmpo], no two Shai Gilgeouses [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] … It’s just natural, you get rid of [Reaves]. You love him, but from a business standpoint, from a winning standpoint, if you can get something great for him, you do it.”

Should the Lakers trade Austin Reaves?

Now 55 years old, Horry was a great Laker who helped the team win three NBA championships from 2000-02 with countless clutch playoff shots along the way. But his take here feels like a bit of a doozy.

For one, teams in the modern NBA need multiple productive ball-handlers to be able to succeed, even the ones that Horry alluded to. Jokic needed Jamal Murray to win a championship, Antetokounmpo needed the likes of Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton to win his, and Gilgeous-Alexander needed Jalen Williams to win his as well.

For another, the Lakers have a longer-term future to plan for, especially once LeBron James retires or otherwise leaves Los Angeles (which is looking likely after the 2025-26 campaign). Reaves is still only 27 years old and is extremely beloved by the fanbase. Especially with his averages of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season, Reaves has all the makings of a proper Doncic sidekick for years to come.

But in fairness to Horry, a potential trade of Reaves, who is entering the final season of his contract, was a popular topic of conversation earlier this offseason (with some popular media figures even virtually guaranteeing that a trade would happen). Reaves is also believed to be in line for an enormous salary figure on his next contract.

That said, the Lakers have since balanced out their roster (which would have been the primary motivation for a Reaves trade) by adding a center in Deandre Ayton plus some more defensive-minded players in Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart. Though the topic of a Reaves trade might inevitably come up again next summer (particularly if the Lakers fall short in 2025-26), it is probably the better play for them at this point to pay up and keep Reaves around for the long haul.