Updated top NBA championship odds via @DKSportsbook:Thunder: +245Nuggets: +600Knicks: +850Cavaliers: +850Rockets: +1100Timberwolves: +1400Lakers: +1400Warriors: +1800 pic.twitter.com/l7GhHpDmmR— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 10, 2025

The Lakers will be deciding between three players for their final starting spot in place of an injured LeBron James:Marcus SmartJake LaRaviaJarred VanderbiltLos Angeles projects to start Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton in their season opener. pic.twitter.com/q0f1HfTNay— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 10, 2025

Or What Does Chemistry Get You These Days?

‘Round these parts I catch a lotta flak for being “negative” and “not having faith” or “not being very positive in regards to fake trades” and so on. Which is cool, I don’t much care. In fact, it’s safe to say that I am unfazed, as they say, by anyone who doesn’t agree with me about basketball. The reason being none of our opinions really matter more than the oxygen and time it takes to express them. This is supposed to just be fun. For me, it is, won’t speak for anyone else, but I very much enjoy watching, writing and talking about NBA basketball (get the amateurs outta here, NCAA fans).

So, as a sort of counterpoint to the seemingly endless fake trades that are generated by this blog and the internet world of sports blabbering in general, here are my thoughts: the Lakers aren’t trading anyone. Not in 2025 and likely not until a week or so before the deadline…if even then. That will depend on feedback the front office gets from Luka and, to a slightly lesser extent, LeBron. Some will decry this opinion as negative. I don’t see it that way because I actually believe we have some pretty good players as-is. Furthermore, I don’t really see too many significant upgrades with the variety of trades we see posted here and there and everywhere. They usually look like lateral moves, at best, and often like we’re bailing another franchise out when it comes to oft-injured players (Ben Simmons, Time Lord, and, yes, even Marcus Smart who we got for zero draft picks which = win).

Why Not Trade Reaves?
Fair question. The main reason is his actual value both to the Lakers and around the league. If you trade Austin now you are selling low. Very, very low. The time and investment put in will net you a mediocre role-player, at best, and if you start piling contracts on to the deal to make it work you’re now talking about a player teams will also be looking for multiple draft picks coming their way in a trade. Those the Lakers do not have…yet. Equating a player to a draft pick, or even more outlandish multiple draft picks, is not correct or accurate evaluation skills. It’s trying to shove a square block in a round hole to make something happen that won’t be happening.

A draft pick represents so much more to a team than a player under contract. They don’t count against the cap, you don’t know what you’re getting until you open it (like a present on Christmas) and they could become that ultimate prize: a star player to mold your team around. Best of all they can be more easily flipped than a player for literally every reason I just mentioned. I do not consider Reaves to be worth anything close to an unprotected first round draft pick. He might be worth a top 20 protected FRP. Maybe, depending on how he develops.

In the end, I expect Reaves to remain a Laker for several years unless this season reveals such a blatant flaw in the Luka/Reaves pairing that the only answer is a trade. You don’t see a ton of guys come through that can shoot, score at the rim, make plays for others, and at least try on defense. If he can become a simply league-average defender who can hold his own on defense within his weight class we have a solid complimentary piece to pair with Luka. There’s a short list of players that fit that mold.

Why Not Trade Rui?
Another fair question and, if I’m being honest, Rui is on the very short list of players I expect might be able to be traded this season for the simple reason being that if LeBron doesn’t retire it’s doubtful the Lakers can retain Reaves, sign LBJ to a new deal, and keep Rui. I’m assuming they let Dalton, Kleber and Vincent walk this summer. You won’t get anything back for them…maybe you could get a 2nd rounder from Brooklyn for Knecht? But, in general, you want that salary walking out the door to make room for Reaves if the plan is to keep him.

Rui might be able to change that if he has a breakout season of some kind. Let’s say that, with LeBron out and Luka dishing, Rui starts averaging 20+ ppg and adds a rebound to the stat line. That starts to look like a solid piece any team would want and, if you trade for him in-season, you get his Bird Rights. Maybe you can pair either Kleber or Vincent in a Rui trade for something pretty decent at that point. Mind you I’m pretty much ruling out any trade that takes the FRP out of our control. It’s just too valuable not just this season but every season until it’s conveyed which is 6 years out.

Rui is just barely off my “nigh un-touchbable list”. He gets a bad rap around here, except from Michael H who is a staunch advocate. I like Rui for the following reasons: he puts his head down and does the job no matter what, he’s a great role-player for this Lakers team, and he’s still young (just hit 27 or is about to, I believe). All of that syncs up well with a Luka timeline. Luka needs shooters: Rui is a shooter, not a gunner, he just takes the open shots. He doesn’t really force his own offense. He’s willing to defend bigger players without griping about it (see Davis, Anthony). It’s not often a player brings all of that to the table. Some folks call those things “intangibles”. I don’t much care what you call them, traits like that are worth as much as 2 ppg and rebound when we’re talking about role-players.

Well Maybe You’re Wrong
Sure. Maybe I am. These are predictions and I’m no Nostradamus. I’ll bust one every once in awhile but, in general, find the process of people asking for predictions tedious and annoying. I’ll leave to someone who gets paid to waste space and time. I do not. The thing for me is simply this: everyone see’s a team win the NBA Finals and looks at the skills and the stats and says “we need to copy THAT!” I don’t. I look at how many of the core players have been on the same team through the downs and the ups and what role they played in winning the chip. Every player on a roster matters, if not for what they bring to the game than to what they bring to the locker room. Energy and vibe matter, more than people care to admit, honestly. You don’t like someone, you’ll put on the “I’m at work face”, grin and bear and bitch to your wife or friends later. But it’s always better when that person isn’t there at all. When you go out with your co-workers from time to time because, well, they’re cool. Take the Thunder and the Celtics. Both those teams didn’t cobble a roster in a manic series of epic trades, in fact I challenge anyone to find a team that won it al that was built in that manner (hint: there isn’t one, it takes a season or 3 of chemistry to build that kind of trust). Those teams were built around talented players that stayed with their team through the worst and saw it through to the highest moment.

That’s exactly the blueprint the Lakers need to follow now.

We did and Rui as well. LeBron needs to sharpen his FT shooting.

Lakers star LeBron James is sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. He is out for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 9, 2025