The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of decisions to make this offseason as they hope to build a championship contender once again. With that in mind, the rumor mill is heating up regarding Austin Reaves. And from the sounds of it, the front office has no plans to trade the star guard.

During a guest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Shams Charania of The Athletic claims “JJ Redick wants Austin Reaves to really fulfill his potential,” on the Lakers. Charania doesn't believe an Austin Reaves trade is in the mix for LA.

Keeping Reaves makes sense for the Lakers. He's proven to be a reliable option on the court and will at least provide consistent depth the team needs around its star players. Additionally, if the new head coach, JJ Redick, believes Reaves still has some untapped potential then perhaps Reaves can take a step forward in his development next season.

Overall, the Lakers seem to have made some good decisions early on in the offseason. They made a splash pick in the first round of the NBA Draft after selecting Dalton Knecht 17th overall. Knecht is a known scorer and should fit in LA nicely. The organization is likely to make some big moves once free agency opens and there's always a chance a trade could be made this offseason as well.

Can Austin Reaves take the next step for the Lakers?

Austin Reaves
© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Reaves has been a pleasant surprise for the Lakers since he joined the team in 2021. So far he's improved each season and looks like he could be in for an even bigger year with JJ Redick leading the way as head coach. If that's the case, then Reaves could be in for a career year next season.

One key area Reaves could improve in is scoring. He's been averaging less than 16 points per game throughout his career so far. But if the Lakers guard can improve that number to 20+ points per game next season, then LA suddenly has another reliable scoring option alongside Anthony Davis and potentially LeBron James.

Austin Reaves finished last season averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. All of those numbers are career highs for the young veteran guard. He has a real chance to improve those numbers moving forward. So, it makes sense why the Lakers may not be too keen on possibly trading Reaves away this offseason.