Austin Reaves Discussion: Overachiever Who Underachieved

Checking in… yep. Going exactly as expected. OK. Back to the bushes.

 

Clinton’s are more entertaining tho

 

Yep AR is a gonna, just need to make sure we get as much as we can for him.

Business wise it makes sense for him to test free agency, he's earned whatever he gets over the 90 million we can offer.

 

It’s a cold business

 

i don't get why all of a sudden he's definitely getting traded?

he fit quite well to end the year, imo, and folks are making too much of the minny playoff series. two more bodies and we beat them. or if they have two less (which they might after this summer).

 

I think it's a couple things: the ticking clock of an extension and the difficult long term fit next to Luka. It's easier to move him than get Claxton and Herb Jones types at C and SF, those prototypes are a must for that to work if you're going to pay him to start.

It's not something we MUST address now though. The only way that's a thing is if a team's financial window needs him at that bargain price next year before it balloons AND it's a team he wants to go to. No team is going to trade for him unless they have a guarantee from him that he's going to stay.

Buha said the other day, IF we do move him, he thinks it's something we could wait until the '27 deadline to worry about. You're paying him by that point but opens you to several more trade options based on salary matching.

Going through Bovada's list and the fact that the Lakers are only going to move him for a star or someone right near that tier and not a package of fits, here's who I'd be willing to move him for (additional assets required for salary purposes):
Knicks: no
Heat: Bam
Clipps: Zu
Bucks: not unless Antetokounmpo is coming
GS: no
Cs: Brown (unlikely) or White
TOR: don't see anything realistic
Hawks: Johnson or Okongwu
ORL: Suggs
CHA: no

 

There's a big difference between guys like Claxton and Herb Jones who IMO are no way the value of a guy like Reaves pre or post extension. It's hard find scorers/playmakers at Reaves level.

now guys like Bam/Zu yeah those are all star types

 

I would definitely try to get Bam. His improved shooting and playing with Luka could get him nto the 22-23 ppg range. But keep in mind, he is playing for the Heat. An idea i have is send AR + Rui + Kleber + Vincent + 2031 1st + 2026 swap + 2028 swap + 2030 swap to New Orleans for Zion, Jones, and Reaves.

 

as much as i handwring over zu, i don't hold him at the same level of esteem that you guys do. i don't move reaves for a zu, mostly because he's not a great fit with luka. your center MUST be mobile, imo--it's not a surprise to me that dallas went to the finals with gafford/lively at center and derrick jones/washington at the forward spots.

but note that they also played kyrie, who's probably a reaves-level defender.

i just don't think we're in a position where we need to move him. at all.

 

Interesting. Yeah, I could see AR as someone they would finally be willing to trade Bridges for. Especially if they could also obtain Vanderbilt.

Potential trade based around AR and Rui going to NYK for Bridges and Robinson.

 

Unfortunately I see him getting traded...but I hope it is for Giannis.

That's the only trade that would make sense to dump him in...

everything else I would pass on. But getting an in-prime Giannis for Reaves (plus 4 others) seems like a no brainer to me.

 

I hope he doesn't get moved unless it's for real star.

Sports are a business but it's sad to lose home grown talent. Plus it would be nice to have some continuity

 

Bill Simmons is really a Laker insider.

 

If we trade him to the Toileteers, I’m done with the Lakers for a year.
I would be okay if we get Bam for him.

 

I don't think we need to trade Reaves, he is a great player - he is a good 3rd option in this league. I'm also certain he will continue to develop offensively, to me he is like Manu in a lot of ways.

I'm just not certain how else we improve substantially without giving our trade partners something of value. We have only 2-3 shots to improve in my opinion:

• Reaves (worth 2 or 3 firsts?) + Expiring Salary for something
  
• Knecht (worth close to a first?) + Expiring Salary + 1st for something
• The TPMLE or MLE

The expiring salary we could use is Gabe, Kleber, Rui and Shake. Our youngish guys are really only Reaves (27), Vando (26) and Knecht (24).

So if we assume the following are locked in:

Luka / x / Bronny
x / Goodwin
x / DFS
Lebron / x
x / x

We need 1-3 starters (depending if you see Reaves or Rui as a starter), and we need at least another backup big - depending on if you leave Gabe or Rui/Vando as backup PF.

Either way, you need to improve substantially to challenge whats happening in the west next year.

I say we get Herb Jones, NAW, a springy good defensive big and see if we can keep Rui and Knecht and get some ring chasers.

 

Reaves worth 2 or 3 1st?