Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have Luka Dončić alongside LeBron James, they have plenty of offensive creation. With their offseason signings of Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia, it is clear they are looking to compete for a championship. They may need to make a few changes to their roster to do that, and Lake Show Life’s Josh Cornellisen proposes a trade that could benefit both teams involved.
“(Austin) Reaves is the kind of player every team wants to keep around. That will change next summer, however, when he becomes a free agent and is in line for a massive payday,” Cornellisen said Monday.
“(Jaden) McDaniels is on a cost-controlled contract for the next four years that will pay him like a mid-tier starter, around $27 million per season. He would be complementary to Doncic in a way that Reaves is not.”
The trade would be Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt for Jaden McDaniels and Joe Ingles.
Right now, Reaves is the third ball-handler behind the Lakers’ other two superstars. If they were to acquire McDaniels, he would offer off-the-ball play with his spot-up shooting.
Additionally, he is one of the NBA’s best defenders, both on and off the ball, in the paint, and on the perimeter.
He has been the perfect complementary piece on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and was one of the main reasons they knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs last year. The Timberwolves would then have a guard besides Mike Conley to run the offense, making this deal beneficial for both teams.
