Lakers issued a “hard no” on Austin Reaves trade proposals with HC JJ Redick planning big for $53.8 million player: Insider
Standout guard Austin Reaves is poised to be a big part of first-year coach JJ Redick's plans. According to a report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who spoke during Friday's episode of his acclaimed Hoop Collective podcast, Redick and the Lakers showed no interest in trading Reaves this offseason.
Windhorst explained teams around the league inquired about Reaves during the offseason trade talk. But the Lakers remained steadfast in their desire to retain the $53.8 million guard.
Last year, Reaves played in all 82 regular season games, a career-high, while also starting 57 games for LA with a career-high 32.1 minutes per game. With an increased role under the leadership of Darvin Ham, Reaves' averages soared to career highs.
With Redick at the helm of the team heading into the 2024-25 season, Reaves could have an increasingly bigger role in his rotations. While it's unclear which teams were inquiring about Reaves, Windhorst made it clear on Thursday that LA considers him off the table.
"I just know JJ has big plans for Austin Reaves. Not only that, when there were discussions with the Lakers this summer and teams had discussions with them and Austin Reaves came up it was a hard 'no.'"
"I cannot wait to coach Austin" - JJ Redick had high praise for Austin Reaves after accepting LA coaching job
JJ Redick accepted the LA Lakers' coaching job earlier this offseason after a lengthy coaching search full of twists and turns. While at one point it seemed NCAA coach Dan Hurley will end up at the helm of the franchise's roster, it was ultimately Redick who stepped in to replace Darvin Ham.
Shortly after, in late June, Redick spoke in an interview posted on the Lakers' account on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said he looked forward to coaching Austin Reaves.
"He's excellent. I cannot wait to coach Austin. One of the reasons I can't wait to coach him is because of his competitive spirit. He has a real mental toughness and competitive approach every single night," Redick said.
Reaves also said this summer that he looks forward to playing under Redick during an interview with local outlet THV11 in Arkansas. In addition to the two speaking after Redick accepted the LA coaching job, Reaves had also appeared on the retired guard's "Old Man & The Three" podcast early on in the 2023-24 NBA season.
During the THV11 appearance, Reaves said:
"I've gotten to know JJ a little bit, going on his podcast during the middle of the year. He's a basketball genius, I think as everybody knows, and I think he's going to make a good coach. I can't wait to get to work with him."
With big plans on the horizon for Reaves, it will be interesting to see how Redick's first year with LA plays out on the court.