(Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
After being convincingly beaten by the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the offseason with a lot of work to do to compete with the best in the Western Conference moving forward.
The first order of business for the Lakers was parting ways with head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons, with the coaching search now underway and all signs leading toward the team potentially getting JJ Redick a shot at the head coaching gig in Los Angeles.
The coaching search aside, the Lakers have some things to fix on the roster, namely bringing in a third star that can help elevate LeBron James and Anthony Davis next season, making this team a legitimate title contender in the West.
Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young have been mentioned as players the team might be targeting on the trade market, with Austin Reaves potentially being at the core of any trade made.
Although the Lakers don’t want to move Reaves, who has been a feel-good story for Los Angeles getting to where he is as an undrafted free agent, it seems that they’ll make a move if they can get a “bona fide All-Star” in return, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic via Legion Hoops.
“I’ve heard the Lakers do not want to trade Austin Reaves,” Buha said. “They love Austin Reaves. But, if there was a scenario in which they would consider trading him, it would have to be for a bona fide All-Star.”
REPORT: The Lakers would only consider trading Austin Reaves for a ‘bonafide All-Star’, per @jovanbuha.
“I’ve heard the Lakers do not want to trade Austin Reaves. They love Austin Reaves. But, if there was a scenario in which they would consider trading him, it would have to be… pic.twitter.com/oGPzJkxX21
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 14, 2024
Unfortunately for Reaves, who has far exceeded expectations in his three years with the team, it seems inevitable that he will get traded this summer, with the Lakers desperate to put a championship-caliber squad around James and Davis one more time.
The only question moving forward is whether it will be Mitchell, Young, or another star who has yet to surface on the trading block.
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