Austin Reaves on the Block? Lakers Playing Dangerous Game With Their Top Trade Chip

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a pivotal offseason, one marked by tough decisions, a limited budget, and a desperate need for defensive reinforcements—especially at the center position. After a first-round playoff exit, the front office has made it clear: status quo is no longer acceptable.

The Lakers’ top priority this summer is acquiring a starting-caliber center, a move that will almost certainly need to come via trade due to the team’s limited cap flexibility. However, there’s a key complication in that plan—what to do with Austin Reaves.

Despite coming off a statistically strong season, Reaves has become a lightning rod in early trade speculation. His regular-season numbers—20.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game on efficient 46/38/88 shooting splits—place him in elite company. Only Jamal Murray and Darius Garland joined him in averaging 20+ points and 5+ assists with similar efficiency. But for all his offensive prowess, Reaves faltered in the playoffs, struggling with his shot and exposing limitations on the defensive end.

Austin Reaves’ Future Hangs in the Balance as Lakers Prioritize Roster Overhaul

NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It’s no surprise then that Reaves’ name has surfaced in trade rumors—some even before the offseason formally began. With the Lakers eyeing high-end centers like Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton or Dallas’ Daniel Gafford, teams are naturally asking for the Lakers’ most valuable trade chip. Yet according to the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike, Los Angeles has shown “no interest” in moving Reaves for anything less than a “top-tier big.”

The problem? Few of those are available.

Claxton and Gafford are solid players—Claxton an elite rim protector and lob threat, Gafford a hyper-efficient scorer and interior anchor—but neither qualifies as a franchise-altering star. As such, the Lakers are reportedly holding Reaves out of any negotiations, instead offering a package centered on future draft picks (notably a 2031 first-rounder), recent draftee Dalton Knecht, and expiring contracts like Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber.

It’s a respectable package on paper. Still, it remains to be seen whether it will move the needle for Brooklyn or Dallas. Both franchises will weigh the Lakers’ offer against their internal timelines and the diminishing value of distant first-round picks from a historically playoff-bound team.

NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Reaves, meanwhile, sits at a crossroads. He’s eligible for an extension this offseason, but the financial incentives suggest he may wait. Declining his 2026–27 player option would make him eligible for a new deal worth up to 25% of a team’s salary cap—a significant leap from what an extension would yield now. That decision, combined with LeBron James’ uncertain long-term future in L.A., could shape whether Reaves remains part of the Lakers’ evolving core.

Should Reaves decline an extension and the Lakers fear losing him for nothing, they may revisit trade options—especially if they feel they can get a better perimeter defender in return. But for now, all indications point to the 26-year-old returning in purple and gold next season.

Still, the Lakers face a difficult balancing act. Do they prioritize short-term fit around Luka Doncic and LeBron with an eye toward contention now, or maintain their current mix of offensive firepower while gambling on defensive improvement from within?

If L.A. fails to land its desired center this summer, that calculus could shift—and so too could Reaves’ status with the franchise. Either way, expect his name to remain central to one of the NBA’s more intriguing offseason puzzles.

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