In the aftermath of Fred VanVleet suffering a torn ACL, the Houston Rockets have become a logical suitor for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. Los Angeles has thus far been unwilling to trade Reaves, but if their stance changes, Houston will likely emerge as an interested party. It’s more conjecture than fact-based analysis at this stage, but the Lakers and Rockets are in a unique position to help one another if the day comes that they choose to negotiate a trade.
VanVleet could miss the entire 2025-26 season, thus leaving Houston without its starting point guard and primary playmaker. VanVleet’s value is multifaceted, but the void in the playmaking department has become impossible to overlook. That alone makes Reaves a compelling potential trade target for the Rockets, which are ideally equipped to incorporate his strengths and weaknesses as a player.
Houston ranked No. 5 in the NBA in defensive rating in 2024-25 and has now added four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant to elevate an offense that finished No. 12 in points per 100 possessions. With Reaves, they’d be able to roll out lineups in which no player is shorter than 6’5″ and virtually everyone on the court can create to some degree.
As for Los Angeles, trading with the Rockets may be the best possible option as far bringing back the type of value they’d need to justify a Reaves trade.
Rockets losing VanVleet makes them perfect team to trade for Reaves
Houston is unparalleled in the depth its created as far as defensive-minded wings and forwards are concerned. That should be music to Los Angeles’ ears if it opts to negotiate a potential trade with their follow contenders in 2025-26. The likes of Durant, Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson all project to be competing for minutes at the same few positions.
Durant and Thompson will be off limits, and a 32-year-old Finney-Smith is unlikely to be viewed as the ideal replacement for Reaves. Reaves is still just 27 years of age and has shown steady signs of progress as a scorer and playmaker through four seasons. As such, the Lakers’ pursuit of a trade with the Rockets would likely center around either Eason or Smith—two-way players who would instantly improve Los Angeles’ defense.
Eason, 24, is coming off of a season in which he averaged 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 three-point field goals made on .487/.342/.760 shooting. A versatile defender capable of picking players up at almost every position, he’s the type of stalwart the Lakers have been searching for. Concerns exist about his injury history, as he missed 60 games in 2023-24 and 25 in 2024-25, but his upside is unavoidable and the immediate value he’d provide could prove transformative.
Lakers could add Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. in theoretical Reaves trade
Smith, 22, would likely be the big-swing target the Lakers prioritize, however, as a former top-3 pick who has displayed signs of significant potential. He’s less consistent and in some regards efficient than Eason, but is a 6’10” hybrid forward who can guard and offensively excel at either the 3 or the 4.
In 2024-25, Smith averaged 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 1.7 three-point field goals made on .438/.354/.825 shooting.
Asking for Smith would likely prohibit the Lakers from taking back much else in a potential Reaves trade. Perhaps they could shed Jarred Vanderbilt’s salary, however, as a means to taking back Smith’s $23,643,411. The inverse reality is that Eason is due to make $5,675,766 to Reaves’ $13,937,574, thus requiring Houston to ship out at least one additional contract. The brutal nature of Houston’s situation, however, is that they’d likely be negotiating from a place of borderline desperation to fill a crucial void.
In that scenario, Los Angeles could realistically bring back Eason and draft compensation for Reaves if it opts against going all-in on Smith. Perhaps they could even push for Reed Sheppard, although it’s unclear how Houston values the promising guard.
Regardless of what the Lakers would get in this hypothetical trade, it’s easy to envision a scenario in which Houston emerges as a high-profile suitor for Reaves in 2025-26.
