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The Los Angeles Lakers came to a shocking end at the hands of the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, as they were outclassed in five games. The early playoff exit is quite a dampener, after the Lakers pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades by landing Luka Doncic in return for Anthony Davis.
While Luka's acquisition solves the franchise's current and future superstar needs, the team still has some kinks to iron out, particularly their lack of a big man who can pose as a lob threat. For this piece, let's look at the one player the Los Angeles Lakers must trade in the 2025 NBA offseason, Austin Reaves.
Austin Reaves doesn't fit well alongside Luka Doncic
Reaves seemed untouchable alongside LeBron James at one point, especially when Anthony Davis was still in the fold. Since then, things have changed for the Purple and Gold, bringing in superstar Luka Doncic via a blockbuster trade. However, after the dust settled in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers saw their championship hopes end, and a roster overhaul could be in the works. In fact, Reaves could be on the chopping block.
In contrast to his breakout regular season that saw him put up 20.2 points per game, Reaves' numbers in the postseason took a slight dip. The Lakers guard only averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting only 41.1% from the field overall, a 5% decrease compared to his shooting during the regular season. His usual three-point sniping also abandoned him in the first-round matchup against the Timberwolves, converting only 31.9% from beyond the arc. Reaves went 0-for-6 from three in Game 2 and 2-for-10 in the season-ending loss.
It's no secret that Reaves thrives as a ball-handler. But with Luka in the equation, some of those touches would be naturally removed, which probably played a role in his offensive struggles. In addition to this, having both Reaves and Luka on the floor provides a glaring weakness for the team, which is perimeter defense. In fact, none of them could slow down Anthony Edwards, who had another epic first-round outing.
Austin Reaves is the Los Angeles Lakers' best trade asset
It's safe to say that both Luka and James will be untouchable in trade discussions during the offseason. As a result, this opens the door for the Lakers to dangle Reaves in negotiations, an idea that former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams has endorsed. By now, the team has realized that there's a major hole to fill in their roster, which is a lob-threat center.
The Purple and Gold tried to fill Davis' departure with a Mark Williams deal that was eventually vetoed after the Charlotte Hornets big man failed his physical. This ultimately forced the Lakers to go with Jaxon Hayes as their starting center, and signing a disappointing Alex Len off the buyout market. With an underwhelming frontcourt, Minnesota made sure to capitalize.
As a result, the best way the Lakers can pursue an elite center of their needs is to make Reaves available in the trade market. To make matters more interesting, he also has a friendly salary that teams could be enticed by. In the 2023 offseason, the 6-foot-5 guard signed a four-year contract extension worth $53.8 million.
Having Reaves headline a package opens the door for the Lakers to pursue their missing center. The short list should include the likes of John Collins, Walker Kessler, Nikola Vucevic, and Nic Claxton. All of which belong to rebuilding teams, and Reaves' age should fit perfectly well in their respective timelines. But more importantly, these teams would be willing to gamble on the NBA Cup champion to take his game to the next level.
One logical Austin Reaves trade idea
Lakers receive: Nic Claxton
Nets receive: Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, and Maxi Kleber
When it comes to an athletic center, a lob-threat and a rim protector, the easiest name to be available is Nic Claxton. Claxton had an underwhelming 2024-25 season, putting up only 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. The Brooklyn Nets are also expected to be major sellers during the offseason, given that they've been hinting at a rebuild for quite some time now.
Claxton just finished the first season of the four-year contract worth $97 million he signed back in 2024. In order to match his salary, the Lakers can come up with a package headlined by Reaves, to go along with Dalton Knecht and Maxi Kleber. Both Kleber and Knecht were hardly utilized in the playoffs. However, the latter is still a first-round draft pick with a lot of youth and upside, that can potentially lure the rebuilding Nets into agreeing to the deal. Knecht averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game in the regular season.
Although Claxton is coming off a mediocre season, having him play alongside Luka should inject some excitement back into Los Angeles. On paper, his skillset is easily what the doctor had ordered for the Lakers. While he isn't a large seven-footer at 6-foot-11 and 215 pounds, his ability to attack the rim and hold his own against switches is a valuable asset that the Purple and Gold desperately need.
