Heading into the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers need to trade Austin Reaves for an elite defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic and trade their one available first round pick for a starting center to anchor their defense.
Since trading for a starting center is the Lakers’ top offseason priority, Pelinka has likely set aside either their 2030 or 2031 first round pick to be the likely sweetener in a mega trade for next season’s starting center. That means that the sweetener in a Lakers’ trade for an elite defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic will have to be their budding young stars, specifically point guard Austin Reaves and small forward Dalton Knecht.
While the Lakers are publicly saying they would not trade Austin Reaves unless it was for a foundational player who could lead to championships, there’s a strong undercurrent that trading Reaves will become necessary. The combination of concern over Austin’s defense, his fit with Luka, and the risk of losing him for nothing to free agency will become even more compelling once summer starts. Ultimately, L.A. will have to trade him.
The question the Los Angeles Lakers need to answer is what is Austin Reaves’ trade value? He’s now a legitimate 20/5/5 player who’s exceeded his purported individual ceiling as a player so many times we’ve lost count.
He’s also shown he can be a dynamic third star on a contending team but can he be the second star on that team? Many were surprised when no teams pursued him as an RFA. Will teams pursue Reaves this time?
What the Lakers want for Austin Reaves is an alpha dog defensive guard who can step right in and be the point-of-attack defender who perfectly complements Luka Doncic and can guard the opposing team’s best scorer.
There are two types of foundational defensive guards for whom the Lakers would trade Reaves. The first is a dynamic young guard who earns around what Reaves makes. The second is an expensive proven All-Pro veteran.
So let’s look at four Austin Reaves trades for a defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic, including two for an elite young defensive guard with upside and two for a proven older All-Defensive veteran NBA shooting guard.
1. HAWKS’ DYSON DANIELS
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DYSON DANIELS, 6′ 7″, 199 lbs, 22-years old, $7.8M/yr
14.1 pts, 5.9rebs, 4.4 asts, 0.7blk, 3.0stls in 33.8 mpg
Shooting 12.1/3.1/1.8 shots for 49.3/34.0/59.3%
AUSTIN REAVES, 6′ 5″, 197 lbs, 26-years old, $13.9M/yr
20.2 pts, 4.5 rebs, 5.8 asts, 0.3 blk, 1.1 stls in 34.9 mpg
Shooting 14.2/7.3/5.0 shots for 46.0/37.7/87.7%
Dyson Daniels, the Atlanta Hawks elite defensive guard and league steals leader, is the first of two elite young defensive guards whom the Lakers should try to pry away from their teams in a trade for Austin Reaves.
For the Lakers, Daniels would be the perfect perimeter defensive stud they need to pair with Luka Doncic. His alpha-dog ball-hawking 1-on-1 defense and 6′ 7″ size is exactly what the Lakers need defensively at point-of-attack.
A Lakers backcourt of 6′ 7″ Luke Doncic and 6′ 7″ Dyson Daniels would be a bully ball threat on both offense and defense. Daniels’ pressure defense and versatile offense will quickly make Lakers fans forget about Reaves.
For the Hawks, they need a legitimate second scorer and additional playmaker to help Trae Young. Bringing in a consummate pro like Austin Reaves is also exactly the type of culture the Hawks front office wants.
While Daniels is great on defense, he doesn’t stretch the floor the way that Reaves does or make plays for others. Austin is exactly what the Hawks need, a trustworthy second scorer and playmaker to go with Trae Young.
The Hawks are without a long-term general manager after firing Landry Fields so nobody knows for sure what direction they will be going. Trading the MIPY, All-Defensive first team, and NBA steals leader would be gutsy.
But the opportunity to trade for Austin Reaves, who could be the perfect backcourt mate and co-star Trae Young has never had. It will be interesting to see who takes over the Atlanta front office and the direction they chose.
Austin Reaves to the Hawks and Dyson Daniels to the Lakers would be win-win for both teams. Hawks would get a second star to pair with Trae Young and Lakers would get an elite defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic.
2. THUNDER’S LUGUENTZ DORT
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LUGUENNTZ DORT, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs, 26-years old, $17.7M/yr
10.1 pts, 4.1 rebs, 1.6 asts, 0.5 blk, 1.1 stls in 29.2 mpg
Shooting 8.4/5.8/0.6 shots for 43.5/41.2/71.7%
AUSTIN REAVES, 6′ 5″, 197 lbs, 26-years old, $13.9M/yr
20.2 pts, 4.5 rebs, 5.8 asts, 0.3 blk, 1.1 stls in 34.9 mpg
Shooting 14.2/7.3/5.0 shots for 46.0/37.7/87.7%
Luguentz Dort, an elite 3&D defensive guard for the OKC Thunder, is the second of two elite young defensive guards whom the Lakers should try to pry away from their teams in a trade for combo guard Austin Reaves.
For the Lakers, Lu Dort would also be a perfect elite defensive guard and backcourt mate for Luka Doncic. His defensive force is more bully ball and outright physicality than Daniels’ extreme length and hands-on pressure.
One benefit of trading for Dort over Daniels is Lu has developed into a high percentage 3-point shooter, taking almost 6 3-point attempts per game. Like Daniels, Dort would qualify as a foundational defensive piece for the L.A.
For the Thunder, Austin Reaves could be the star offensive player and volume 3-point sharp shooter they don’t currently have other than SGA. Reaves gives them that second offensive star to score or share the ball.
OKC is so deep that they are going to have make decisions about whom they extend and whom they trade as players reach their contract end. Dort will become a free agent after the end of next season. He may be expendable.
The Thunder traded Luguentz Dort for Austin Reaves for the same reason they traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. They need players who can be stars in their role and contribute to winning on team friendly contract.
OKC still has so many elite draft picks that it forces them to constantly be evaluating both their players and their remaining picks to determine which are long term assets and which are more likely to be moved in trade.
An Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht trade for Luguentz Dort would benefit the Lakers defensively and be great for Luka Doncic while helping the Thunder offensively by giving SGA a trusted second scorer and playmaker.
3. CELTICS’ JRUE HOLIDAY
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JRUE HOLIDAY, 6′ 4″, 205lbs, 34-years old, $32.4M/yr
11.1 pts, 4.3 rebs, 3.9 asts, 0.4 blk,, 1.1 stls in 30.6 mpg
Shooting 9.2/4.9/1.2 shots for 44.3/35.3/90.9%
AUSTIN REAVES, 6′ 5″, 197 lbs, 26-years old, $13.9M/yr
20.2 pts, 4.5 rebs, 5.8 asts, 0.3 blk, 1.1 stls in 34.9 mpg
Shooting 14.2/7.3/5.0 shots for 46.0/37.7/87.7%
If the Lakers can’t get Dyson Daniels or Luguentz Dort, they should turn their focus to 34-year old, Jrue Holiday, who is still one of the best two-way point guards in the NBA and likely to be available in trade from the Celtics.
For the Lakers, trading for 34-year old Jrue Holiday is a totally different situation than trading for a younger player with a longer timeline. Both the matching salaries to trade and annual cost of payroll are much greater.
What makes the trade still viable for the Lakers is just how well Jrue Holiday can still play at both ends of the court and the fact that the Lakers do want to optimize the championship chances for Luka and LeBron.
The Celtics are projected to have a payroll over $500 million next season, with more than half going towards luxury tax payments. Suddenly, Boston cannot afford $30 million per year to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
They need to trade those two players for less expensive and easier to move contracts. Boston needs to swap Holiday for a rising young star like Reaves, talented young shooter like Knecht, and expiring contract in Gabe Vincent.
Trading for Jrue Holiday, who makes $32.4 million per year will require Lakers to give up Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and Dalton Knecht. Reaves and Knecht are young stars under contract while Vincent is expiring.
Once Vincent’s contract expires, the Celtics will have turned Holiday’s $32.4 million per year salary into Reaves and Knecht’s $17.9 million per year. That’s a cut in salaries of 14.5 million per year or a 45% reduction in pay.
For the Lakers, it’s a chance to take advantage of the Celtics‘ financial ’downsizing to trade for an All-NBA defensive guard who would be the perfect backcourt mate for superstar point guard Luka Doncic.
4. CELTICS’ DERRICK WHITE
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DERRICK WHITE, 6′ 4″, 190 lbs, 30-years old, $28.1M/yr
16.4 pts, 4.5 rebs, 4.8 asts, 1.1 blk, 0.9 stls in 33.9 mpg
Shooting 12.6/9.1/2.1 shots for 44.2/38.4/83.9%
AUSTIN REAVES, 6′ 5″, 197 lbs, 26-years old, $13.9M/yr
20.2 pts, 4.5 rebs, 5.8 asts, 0.3 blk, 1.1 stls in 34.9 mpg
Shooting 14.2/7.3/5.0 shots for 46.0/37.7/87.7%
The other proven elite veteran defensive guard the Lakers should consider if they can’t land one of their younger, less expensive targets is the other Celtics starting guard Derrick White, who could be part of salary dump.
For the Lakers, White is three years younger and $4 million less per year than Holiday although the 3rd year on his deal will cost $19 million more. While White is probably better offensively, Holiday is the better defender.
Holiday is going to be moved no matter what while White’s future is not known for sure. He’s younger than Jrue and one of the few legitimate 3&D guards in the league who has a knack for coming up big in big moments.
For the Celtics, the owners knew when they assembled this team, won a ring, and then sold the team to new ownership that the great roster they had build was simply unsustainable financially under the current CBA.
All-Defensive NBA first team guards rarely become available for trade. Trading White for Reaves could be the perfect way for Boston to downsize their payroll while possibly upgrading their offense and 3-point shooting.
The bigger question is what is Austin Reaves ceiling as a player, because that will determine his value. Right now, he is not being valued as a legitimate 20/5/5 player despite having done so as the team’s 3rd option.
But 26-year old undrafted white players who are not exceptionally athletic are rarely given an opportunity to get dramatically better or even paid as much as their numbers and play says they should in the modern NBA.
If the Lakers want to trade for a proven elite veteran defensive guard to pair with Luka Doncic but want to avoid 34-year old Jrue Holiday, then Derrick White, the Celtics’ other elite defensive guard could be the right answer.
I hope we don’t undersell Reavsy!
Pretty sure the Hawks need Daniel’s if they’re keeping Young for every single reason you listed. As such, I don’t expect him to be moved for a player, you’d need to add picks. Jrue would be fine except that he’s old and needs guys like Reaves to help space the floor as he’s not an elite shooter.
Hard for me to see White getting traded, seems like he and Brown are enough to keep the Celtics afloat.
Having more cost-efficient players in the roster until LeBron retires is the best way forward, IMO. So a guy like Reaves, who one could argue doubles the bang for the buck, makes so very much sense to retain. Should it come down to a contract issue at some point, well…that’s what sign and trades are for. Just need to make sure we’re under the 2nd apron.
Tom you say we can’t win with Austin and Luka because of defense. The Hawks need Daniel’s because Tre is one of the poorest defenders in the league. They won’t trade him. As for any Boston trade. They are looking for cap relief. Which they won’t get trading for Austin. He is going to opt out of his contract after this coming year and will command at least as much as Holiday. So they gain nothing.