Lakerholics

While the Lakers do not want to trade him, Austin Reaves is now worth multiple picks as a trading chip and could be the only way for L.A. to land the elite starting 3&D wing and backup center they need with LeBron out.

Fortunately, the Pacers, Rockets, and Mavericks are teams whose only chance to compete for an NBA championship this year will depend on finding an able replacement for injured Haliburton, VanVleet, or Irving. Austin Reaves would not only be the ideal short-term replacement for the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, Rockets’ Fred VanVleet, or Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving but also the ideal second or third long-term option for those teams.

While the Lakers’ original plan was to wait 20 to 25 games before making any trade, LeBron James’ injury may have forced them to rethink that plan and look for possible immediate trades now to keep them in contention. Without LeBron James, the Lakers suddenly become very vulnerable at both forward positions with either guards Austin Reaves or Luka Doncic starting at small forward and Rui Hachimura starting at power forward.

The objective in trading Austin Reaves is acquire a 3&D two-way player who could be the Lakers’ starting small forward and a quality backup center who could either protect the rim and/or stretch the court with shooting.
None of the three proposed trades include any draft capital. Instead, the trades are designed to be win-win transactions that solve the team’s roster issues and better positions both teams to compete for a championship.

Let’s see what kind of win-win Austin Reaves trades Rob Pelinka of the Lakers might be able to pull off with Kevin Pritchard of the Pacers, Rafael Stone of the Rockets, or Nico Harrison of the Mavericks.

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1. AUSTIN REAVES TO PACERS TRADE

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Here’s a proposed blockbuster trade where the Los Angeles Lakers send a package of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dalton Knecht to the Indiana Pacers for Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Benedict Mathurin.

With Haliburton out all year and Turner leaving in free agency, the time is right for the Pacers to rebuild their core and adding a future All-Star in Reaves to complement Haliburton is a great short and long-term move.
The Lakers meanwhile get their desperately needed elite starting small forward in Nesmith and an upgrade in athleticism and physicality at power forward with Obi Toppin and at shooting guard with Benedict Mathurin.

This trade is a win-win trade for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers. The Lakers get more athletic and better on defense while the Pacers get a backcourt all-star to replace and then pair with Haliburton.

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2. AUSTIN REAVES TO ROCKETS TRADE

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In this proposed blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Lakers send Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht to the Houston Rockets in return for backup center Steven Adams and promising young 3&D forward Tari Eason.

Adding Reaves allows the Rockets to return to a more traditional starting lineup with a talented lead guard distributing the ball rather than a bruising two bigs lineup that lacks elite playmaking and shot-making.
The Lakers receive an elite backup center in Adams who will give their offensive and defensive rebounding a dramatic boost and the desperately needed future star 3&D wing to ultimately replace LeBron James.

This trade is a win-win for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. The Lakers get their needed starting 3&D wing and quality backup center while the Rockets get the perfect replacement for Fred VanVleet.

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3. AUSTIN REAVES TO MAVERICKS TRADE

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The third proposed blockbuster trade has the Los Angeles Lakers sending a package of Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Dallas Mavericks in return for center Daniel Gafford and 3&D small forward Naj Marshall.

The Mavs get a perfect short-term replacement and long-term complement for Kyrie Irving in rising young combo guard Austin Reaves and an elite point-of-attack perimeter defender in now healthy Jarred Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile, the Lakers fill gaping holes at starting small forward with Naj Marshall and add Daniel Gafford, who has great experience playing with Luka and throwing down dunks off lobs, to the team’s center rotation.

This trade is also a win-win trade for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers once again get their needed starting small forward and quality backup center while Mavs get able Kyrie replacement.

The good news is Luka Doncic’s already taking his game to another level. The bad news is the Lakers are wasting prime Luka and risking falling far behind waiting for answers they already know instead of taking action.

The Lakers knew they were an elite 3&D starting small forward and quality backup center from being a legitimate championship contender before LeBron James got injured and should have resolved those issues offseason. Pelinka’s failure to fix the Lakers’ roster last summer was inexcusable. It left the Lakers vulnerable to major size issues should LeBron get injured and now forces them again to make and integrate a big midseason trade.

In the meantime, JJ Redick is going to have to make some changes to his starting lineup and rotation. To start, He needs to replace Vincent with Smart, as Gabe simply does not have the defensive size or length to start. The challenge is losing LeBron leaves the Lakers without a legitimate plus defender at small forward or power forward. Last night, Butler dominated Reaves at small forward as Kuminga abused Hachimura at power forward.

The plan to give last year’s roster a 20 to 25 game test run before making a trade should have been flushed the instant Pelinka learned LeBron had a sciatica issue and would likely miss at least the first month of the season. Nor did Rob need last night’s game to figure out what was going to happen when the Lakers were forced to go small against the veteran Warriors or what will happen when they play a bigger team like the Timberwolves.

Nor does Rob need 20 more games to know he must make a trade right now not only to bolster the Lakers until LeBron gets back but also to finally wean the team from over-relying on their legendary 41-year old superstar.

He’s been pine riding for a couple weeks now and Kleber is getting his minutes. Maxi brings a different vibe off the bench but, like Vando, can’t continue to pass up open shots. Folks like to rip on Vanderbilt for his offense but I’ve never seen him air ball a finger roll at the rim…he’s also shooting better from three than Smart is. So either it’s a run where the staff told him he’s riding pine while they look at something or, more likely, Redick just isn’t the right coach for him. It happens, Vando, in the right system, is solid. In what we’re doing these days he needs to hit the corner three and cut for open layups.

Lakers’ second-year head coach JJ Redick had to be smiling and thanking his lucky stars watching 31-year old Marcus Smart looking as spry and athletic on defense as the 27-year old version that had won a DPOY.

The Lakers desperately need better defense from their starting lineup and it’s obvious after Smart’s defensive performance against the Kings that he’s exactly what JJ Redick needs to turbo charge the starting lineup’s defense. Vincent will still start Tuesday night vs. Golden State as Redick probably wants to make sure Smart can sustain a high level of play and stay healthy. Once he shows that, Redick will quickly move him into the starting lineup.

What makes Smart a better option as the Lakers’ fifth starter than Vincent or Vanderbilt is his experience as an elite starter on a championship team and a defensive skillset that earned him three All-Defensive team honors.
While Smart’s only an inch taller than Vincent at 6′ 3,” his 6′ 9″ wingspan and 220 lbs enable him to defend forwards as well as guards. Unlike Vando, Smart is good enough on offense that he can’t be played off the court.

When you look at the Lakers three candidates to be the fifth starter until LeBron returns, Smart is the only legitimate NBA starter quality player. Vincent’s a great shooter and Vando has great size but they’re not starters.
The Lakers need their fifth starter to be a game changer and tone setter, not just another role player. They specifically need a defensive superstar, which is exactly what a healthy and hungry Marcus Smart could be.

JJ Redick has already walked back Gabe Vincent being the starter beyond the home opener so don’t be surprised if he changes his mind again and makes Marcus Smart the fifth starter vs. Warriors on Tuesday night.

While JJ Redick said the same five who started last night’s game against the Kings would start next Tuesday night’s home season opener against the Warriors, he wouldn’t commit who would be the starters after that game.

Barring LeBron James return from injury or a needed blockbuster trade, there’s an argument the Lakers should change their fifth starter each game to better optimize their starting lineup matchups against each opponent. The Lakers already know their starting lineup and rotation is going to be temporary, problematic, and vulnerable next month without LeBron so why not use different fifth starters to create better starting matchups?

For example, Redick might prefer Gabe Vincent as the Lakers’ fifth starter versus the Warriors because he’s an excellent matchup against Steph Curry due to his aggressive point-of-attack defense and red hot 3-point shooting.
Come Friday night against two-big Timberwolves, JJ could prefer to match up with Minnesota’s oversized lineup and start 6′ 8′ Jarred Vanderbilt, who’s had excellent success in the past guarding the Anthony ‘Ant Man’ Edwards.

There’s no question the Lakers need to start Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, and Ayton but, depending on whom they’re playing and the matchups, Vincent, Vanderbilt, or Smart could easily be the team’s fifth starter.
With multiple contenders in the West rolling out two-bigs lineups, the Lakers could even find themselves starting Hayes or Kleber next to Ayton in a two-bigs lineup when they play a team like the Rockets or Mavericks.

Until LeBron returns or Pelinka pulls the trigger on a trade, the Lakers would be smart to abandon a fixed starting lineup and deploy different fifth starters to better match up against each opponent’s starting lineup.