[Woike] Everyone is aware of the noise from the media and on the message boards (shoutout Lakers reddit), no one is acting like a trade is going to happen this summer for a couple of reasons. One, the Lakers and the most important people in the organization all love Reaves

My friend and colleague Bill Plaschke argued in those hallowed Times’ pages that the Lakers must trade Austin Reaves to fulfill their needs for a big man no matter how painful the decision would be. Bill Simmons predicted on his podcast that Reaves “will get traded” this summer.

So what was the buzz at the combine about all this?

Everyone is aware of the noise from the media and on the message boards (shoutout Lakers reddit), no one is acting like a trade is going to happen this summer for a couple of reasons.

One, the Lakers and the most important people in the organization all love Reaves and his journey from undrafted free agent to a talent that people think is All-Star caliber. And, at just $14 million next season, he’ll be one of the most productive players in the league per dollar minus some superstars on the very early stages of their rookie deals.

Yes, Reaves struggled in the Lakers’ five-game loss to Minnesota in the playoffs and, yes, the Timberwolves’ bigger players like Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid feasted on mismatches. And, yes, he didn’t shoot the ball well in the series.

Yet according to people with knowledge of the situation, Reaves is still recovering from a serious toe sprain (though it’s improving and not expected to require surgery). And it’s not like the big moments have always brought out the worst of him as he helped build his reputation in the organization with the way he played in the Lakers’ biggest games.

Two, he’s not viewed as “untradeable” because almost no one in the NBA is untradeable. But if the Lakers are going to trade him for a center, they’re going to want one that is foundationally important — a build-around type and not a fill-in toward the obvious need they have at center (and will need to address in other ways).

If one of the best centers in the NBA were available, the conversations might be different, but at least now, during the first part of the offseason, that just isn’t the case.

Two, Reaves’ trade value and his actual value are two different things. Reaves is eligible for a contract extension this summer, but the four years, $89.2 million the Lakers can offer is below market and he’ll likely head for unrestricted free agency in 2026, assuming he declines his player option. When he hits free agency, he’ll be one of the few top-level guards in his prime on the market.

So any team that would trade for Reaves would need to, one, meet the Lakers’ incredibly high costs, and two, do so with no guarantee that he’ll re-sign.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/sports/newsletter/2025-05-15/will-the-lakers-trade-austin-reaves-not-so-fast