At first of the 2023-24 season, a number of analysts touted Austin Reaves as a member of the Lakers’ new Large 3 alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The hype was justified contemplating Reaves performed a important function within the Lakers’ run to the postseason final 12 months, averaging almost 17 factors whereas capturing a formidable 44 p.c from the three-point arc.
Halfway by means of the season, the query beckons: Has Reaves justified his star billing? The target reply? No. Regardless of averaging a career-high 14.9 factors and 5.2 assists, Reaves is capturing a paltry 34 p.c from three and his perimeter protection has been suspect at finest.
As such, does Reaves justify the “untouchable” tag many positioned on him earlier than the season? In accordance with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers can be keen to commerce Reaves, however just for a bonafide
All-Star.
“They’ve no real interest in buying and selling Reaves,” Buha wrote of the Lakers entrance workplace. “The
exception can be in a deal for a clear-cut third All-Star, with a reputation like
Lauri Markannen being the one participant of that ilk probably accessible on the
commerce market (and an unrealistic choice for the Lakers, to be clear).”
Buha’s reporting on Reaves was in response to a hypothetical
commerce situation that may ship Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and a 2029
first-round decide to the Detroit Pistons in trade for Bojan Bogdanovic and
Alec Burks. Buha clarified that the Lakers would “reject” such a deal.
“They aren’t contemplating buying and selling Reaves for Dejounte Murray,
for instance, and I believe most would say Murray is best than Bogdanovic,” added Buha.
Beforehand, the Lakers had been reportedly engaged in talks with the Atlanta Hawks on a commerce centered round D’Angelo Russell and Dejounte Murray. Nevertheless, Marc Stein reported Sunday that the Lakers are having second ideas about transport Russell owing to his latest sizzling streak as a starter.
With Buha ruling out the opportunity of Los Angeles buying and selling
Reaves for Murray, it stays to be seen if GM Rob Pelinka pulls out all of the
stops to kind an precise Large 3 forward of the Feb. 8 commerce deadline.
