Lakers Trade Rumors: $53.8M rising star unlikely to get traded as Luka Doncic becomes his fan
After the Luka Doncic trade, the LA Lakers instilled hope in their fans as they climbed up the standings and finished the season as the third-seeded team with a 50-32 record. The synergy between Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves was a big contributor in that result.
However, their first-round playoff series told a different tale as the Lakers struggled against the Minnesota Timberwolves and were eventually knocked out of contention with a 4-1 record. The playoffs exposed a big flaw in the current Lakers lineup, which was the lack of a big man to protect the rim and collect boards.
Many fans and analysts speculated that the California-based team needs to and should trade Austin Reaves to acquire a big man. However, Dan Woike from the LA Times revealed that the chances of the Purple and Golds' rising star getting traded are quite low.
Woike noted that Reaves had his shortcomings in the series but he has built a name for himself and the team won't be interested in trading him unless a big-name center is offered in exchange. While talking about the youngster's areas of improvement, the LA Times author mentioned that Luka Doncic has become a fan of his teammate.
"He needs to be a more reliable catch-and-shoot player alongside Luka Doncic, but the vibe is that Reaves has a fan in the Lakers’ new star," Wolke wrote.
Although Reaves did not perform his best during the playoffs, he was incredible during the regular season. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game and was among the top guards in the league.
On the other hand, AR 15 is one of the most cost-efficient players in the league. According to Spotrac, he signed a four-year $53.8 million deal with the Purple and Gold last season. Many players who earn way higher than him are nowhere near the numbers he is putting out.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka sheds light on the franchise's offseason plans
Going into the offseason, the Lakers need to make some big decisions to tackle their shortcomings which were exposed in their series against the Timberwolves. On Monday, Jovan Buha from The Athletic asked general manager Rob Pelinka for his plans going into the offseason.
"It would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, lob threat, and someone that could protect the interior defensively,” Pelinka said. “I think those would be key.
"But there’s multiple different types of centers that can be very effective in the league... So I wouldn’t want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man."
Pelinka had tried to acquire a center before the NBA trade deadline this season when he made a deal for the Charlotte Hornets' Mark Williams. However, the deal was rescinded after Williams failed to pass some medical requirements.