With the 2025-26 NBA regular season rapidly approaching, and a showdown against the Golden State Warriors on the books for October 21, Los Angeles Lakers fans are looking to configure the clearest path to another Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy for LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and company.
While the Lakers did make improvements over the offseason, loading up on interesting young players like Jake LaRavia, and Adou Thiero plus some vets like Deandre Ayton, and Marcus Smart, many still hope to see Los Angeles land one more quality player before the 2026 NBA Playoffs come around to really make the most of what could be James' final season in the Association.
But how would the Lakers get that done? Well, in the opinion of Lakers legend Robert Horry on the Big Shot Bob Podcast, that might just have to include trading Austin Reaves, as his game may simply overlap too much with Doncic.
“If the Lakers were smart, they would do a sign-and-trade,” Horry wrote. “And the reason I say that is because when you have a team with two players who are pretty much the same, meaning Luka and AR, and I'm not saying they have the same skill set. They play the same position, they pretty much do the same thing. It's a wash. And don't get me wrong, I love AR and I think he could play, but you don't need two of the same players. You think about the NBA is all about a fit. You look at all the great teams, they all have something different. There's no two no Jokers. There's no two Giannises, no two Shai Gilgeouses.”
Now granted, the idea of Reaves being on the Lakers' trading block is nothing new to fans, as they've been mock shipping him off to darn-near every team in the NBA as part of one hypothetical deal or another over the past few years, but with Doncic playing a similar role in JJ Redick's offense, such a move feels more and more like a possibility. Doing so in a sign-and-trade, however, feels less likely before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, as there simply aren't that many restricted free agents left on the open market, let alone ones who fit what the Lakers are looking for.
