The conversations around Lakers’ breakout star Austin Reaves’ prospects as a trade candidate have been polarizing. Many consider him talented, but also feel he’s not an ideal fit alongside Luka Doncic, particularly on the defensive end. Both are physically limited. With them leading the backcourt, it could be detrimental to the Lakers’ success.
However, Reaves’ talent makes him LA’s most prized asset. Securing anything lower than his value in return could dent the Lakers’ title prospects in the long run. Very few trade candidates can be seen as near-perfect trade partners for Reaves.
According to Lakers and NBA insider Jovan Buha, Pelicans’ rising star, Trey Murphy III, could be an “interesting” candidate. He explained his reasons during Thursday’s episode of his podcast, “Buha’s Block,” saying:
“He’s (Murphy) a bit bigger,-6-foot-7, 6-foot-8, he’s a better shooter (than Reaves).”
Buha said his size makes everyone “wishcast” Murphy to be a better defender than he is. Nevertheless, he still views Murphy better than Reaves on that end.
“I think it’s harder to pick on him than Austin. So, I can see Murphy who first really well next to Luka [Doncic] long-term.”
Jovan Buha believes that the Lakers and Pelicans will value their respective assets higher and want draft capital from each other, leading to a stalemate in potential negotiations.
From a salary-matching perspective, it won’t be difficult to make the trade as Murphy is making $25 million this season. A combination of Austin Reaves, Maxi Kleber and Dalton Knecht could help LA reach the $25 million figure.
Austin Reaves’ explosive preseason could force Lakers to retain him long-term
Austin Reaves came into his fifth NBA season with improved burst, strength, and athleticism, as per JJ Redick. He was LA’s best player in the gym all summer. Fast forward three games in, Reaves’ explosive preseason was a testament to Redick’s assessment. He’s averaged 22.0 points on 56.8% shooting. Reaves has added to his skill set on offense and improved his conditioning to play through contact. His handles look even tighter, while his ability to play through traffic in the paint has also improved.
In the only game Austin Reaves played alongside Luka Doncic on Tuesday against Phoenix, the duo quashed any concerns regarding their offensive fit as both scored 25 each without any overlap.
There’s more reason for LA to hold onto Reaves and give him a full season with Doncic. He’s drawn the Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson comparisons as Doncic’s backcourt partner, and there’s enough sample size for the Lakers to give into that projection. Another significant reason the Lakers would prefer to retain Austin Reaves is LeBron James’ injury setback, which could force him out until mid-November. The Lakers can’t experiment at this stage by moving a key piece like Reaves due to that.
