The Los Angeles Lakers have already been linked to several centers in NBA rumors this summer, with the club planning to make moves to surround Luka Doncic with young talent. As the Lakers plan their offseason, multiple teams have seemed to be eyeing Austin Reaves with the hope he’s available.
Lakers’ reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently reported on his podcast that the Lakers are not looking to move Reaves, believing that he is a future NBA All-Star.
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- Austin Reaves stats (2024-’25): 20.2 PPGG, 4.5 RPG< 5.8 APG< 1.1 SPG< 46% FG, 37.7% 3PT, 2.7 3PM per game, .144 WS/48
Reaves, entering his age-27 season, is coming off a breakout year. The 6-foot-5 guard set personal bests in scoring (20.2 PPG), three-pointers made per game (2.7), steals (1.1) and Win Shares per 48 minutes (.144) across 73 games played.
With Los Angeles desperately in need of a starting-caliber center, Reaves is their best trade chip. He’s also entering the last guaranteed year of his contract and NBA rumors have already surfaced that he’ll eventually be seeking a multi-year deal worth more than $30 million per season.
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- Austin Reaves contract (Spotrac): $13.937 million salary for 2025-’26, $14.898 million player option in 2026
The Lakers’ belief that Reaves is a future All-Star certainly strengthens the expectation that he’ll eventually receive a contract extension. However, some around the league have been skeptical regarding his long-term fit alongside Doncic and Los Angeles has limited trade assets.
If Reaves stays on the Lakers’ roster, then Dalton Knecht and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick become the club’s top trade chips. Los Angeles can also offer swap rights in future years (2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032) in any deal and package the Rui Hachimura or Gabe Vincent contracts. It will limit their options at center, but there should still be a few quality starters available to acquire this summer.
