The Los Angeles Lakers want to continue building their team around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But it appears that these two stars are not the only players the 17-time NBA champions are unwilling to trade.
Austin Reaves is also understood to be a player the franchise has no intention of negotating. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers had a chance to land Dejounte Murray in February if they gave Reaves in return.
The purple and gold, however, were not comfortable with giving up the 26-year-old, which is why the deal didn’t come into fruition. And it looks like Rob Pelinka is still not interested in trading Reaves:
“Murray, meanwhile, was a player that the Lakers could have had at the February trade deadline if they’d been willing to put Reaves into the deal. He’s a possibility now, as well, but league sources say the Lakers’ stance on Reaves remains the same.”
Having joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Reaves blossomed into a key contributor in the Lakers’ rotation, earning a four-year, $56 million contract extension in the summer of 2023.
Austin Reaves believes Lakers need to bring help for Anthony Davis
Speaking with Lakers Nation, Reaves echoed JJ Redick’s sentiment that the team has what it takes to challenge for the championship. Still, he believes the Lakers could benefit from adding a physical center to help Anthony Davis.
“There’s obviously room for improvement,” he added. “I think that one thing I personally thought we could’ve had was a more physical 5, especially when you run into someone like Jokic. You ask AD to do so much on the offensive and defensive end and he’s capable, but if you’re able to give him a little bit of a break guarding like a Jokic so he can be more focused in helpside defense and making it tougher when Jokic makes his first move, just seeing AD on the back line. That’s tough to score over because he’s such a good defender and then he can worry more about the offensive end.“
While LeBron James has yet to decide whether to opt into or decline his $51.4 million player option for next season, the Lakers are building their future around Anthony Davis, with the big man reportedly being heavily involved in the coaching search that led to JJ Redick’s hire. And Austin Reaves also seems to be considered an important player by the front office.