Lakers Trade Rumors: Shams Charania Certain Austin Reaves Will Not Be Traded

Lakers Trade Rumors: Shams Charania Certain Austin Reaves Will Not Be Traded

On Day 1 of the 2024 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers picked Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick, adding some much-needed shooting prowess to the roster. However, his addition prompted speculation that the team could be looking to use guard Austin Reaves as a makeweight in a trade to add a star player to the roster. But NBA insider Shams Charania has squashed those rumors.

On the Pat McAfee Show, he reported that the Lakers won’t entertain any offers for Reaves. He revealed that new head coach JJ Redick is a massive admirer of the young guard and expects him to be one of the team’s key players next season. Charania said,

“If anyone has seen the way J. J. Redick has been glowing about Austin Reaves… J. J. Redick wants Austin Reaves to really fulfill his potential. Whether that’s been an All-Star caliber player. Whatever it is. He has high hopes for Austin Reaves.”

Given that the Lakers might not want to reveal their plans too soon, the statement on Reaves can be taken with a pinch of salt. But when looking deeper into JJ Redick’s playing style, it’s obvious to see that Reaves is pretty similar to his coach. All things considered, making AR-15 untradeable may actually be the Lakers’ stance. His 3-point shooting ability, and his locker-room presence certainly help things for him.

Austin Reaves is one of the Lakers’ most important players

The Lakers view LeBron James and Anthony Davis as untradeable. After all, they were the franchise’s 2 best players last season, both earning All-NBA call-ups. If they were asked to add another player to that list from their current roster, they’d pick Austin Reaves without hesitation.

After joining the Lake Show as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Reaves has seen a meteoric rise to stardom. Averaging almost 16 points last season, Reaves’ three-point shooting ability makes him invaluable for the Lakers, a team that ranked 28th out of 30 teams in three-pointers attempted. His conversion rate of 36% is another mark in his favor.

In addition to his impressive contributions on the court, the 26-year-old guard’s contract is also on a team-friendly deal. He signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension last summer, costing the Lakers about $13.5 million a year.

Given his skill set, his improvement year-on-year, and the cost of retaining him, it’s safe to assume that Reaves will play for the Lakers for the foreseeable future. While there are no guarantees in the NBA, any trade rumors involving the 26-year-old guard can ideally be discarded immediately.

Post Edited By: Sameen Nawathe
Austin Reaves

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Jay Mahesh Lokegaonkar

Jay Lokegaonkar is a basketball journalist who has been following the sports as a fan 2005. He has worked in a slew of roles covering the NBA, including writer, editor, content manager, social media manager, and head of content since 2018. However, his primary passion is writing about the NBA. Especially throwback stories about the league's iconic players and franchises. Revisiting incredible tales and bringing scarcely believable stories to readers are one his main interests as a writer.

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