The Los Angeles Lakers have slowed down a bit since starting the 2025-26 season with a 7-2 record, losing two of their last three games by a combined 49 points.
Still, with the Lakers’ elite offensive firepower and improved roster, the franchise should feel confident about its chances of going the distance this year.
That said, Los Angeles may have to do so without its star shooting guard, as a recent report indicated that the organization is willing to cut ties with him via trade under one condition.
“The Los Angeles Lakers highly value Austin Reaves,” Lakers Daily’s Ashish Mathur stated Tuesday.
“Just how much, you ask? Sources told Lakers Daily that the Lakers have rejected over 20 trade offers for Reaves since last season.”
“The Lakers are only going to trade Austin for Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or (Nikola) Jokic. “And neither of those guys is getting traded this season.”
Simply put, if the Lakers are 100% certain they can acquire a generational superstar with a championship on his resume in a trade centered around Reaves, they would pull the trigger.
Would it make sense for the Lakers to move on from Reaves with the Oklahoma product slated to earn his first All-Star nod? Yes, considering that Antetokounmpo and Jokic would instantly turn Los Angeles into title favorites in the Western Conference.
However, if the best the Lakers can get for Reaves, a top-10 scorer (28.3 points per game), is a second-string center or a mediocre wing, the franchise will gladly retain him for the foreseeable future.
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