The Los Angeles Lakers were busy this offseason building a new roster around Luka Doncic, and one of the team’s biggest moves was re-signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract extension and securing a backcourt duo for years to come.
However, just because Reaves is on a new deal doesn’t mean he is safe from trade rumors, and in fact, the 27-year-old could be poised to become available if this Lakers team doesn’t live up to expectations, or at least show a competitive form this upcoming season.
Los Angeles gave a ton of money to Reaves this summer, money that could have been used to lure other top free agents and trade targets. With that, the Lakers’ starting shooting guard has a big role to fill, but he’s also facing a ton of pressure to perform after the franchise made a huge financial commitment to him instead of bringing in new talent.
Shooting Guard Predicted To Be ‘Fall Guy’ This Season In LA
After signing the big deal that now accounts for 25% of the Lakers’ salary cap for the 2026-27 season, all eyes will be on Reaves for the foreseeable future.
If Los Angeles isn’t looking like the title hopeful many expect them to be, he is the one who fans will target and could be next to hit the trade block, as the shooting guard is the team’s top trade asset by far.
Writing for LakeShowLife, Svyatoslav Rovenchuk believes that Reaves could both be blamed for the team’s underwhelming offseason additions by signing for such a big number, and could be the one to hit the trade block if the season doesn’t go well.
“An underwhelming Lakers season may force the conversation to be had, though,” he wrote of a potential Reaves trade down the road. “(If) the Lakers are scrambling for answers, few real options are available to them in search of more retooling than to consider trading Reaves. That will be especially true if the role players underperform. Selling low on those guys will not help the cause.”
It’s not to say that Reaves should take the blame for any potential Lakers struggles, but as seen throughout league history, the stars and big names tend to take the blame, especially if they directly or inadvertently hindered a franchise, like the Lakers, from being more restricted in what was expected to be a massive offseason.
Los Angeles was linked to several huge names since the 2026 NBA trade deadline and didn’t land any of them. Regardless of whether prioritizing a new Reaves deal caused them to miss out on their top targets or not, he’ll be put in the crosshairs due to all the money he was recently given.
All the blame could disappear if the Lakers have a strong season, but if not, a Reaves trade could be imminent as Los Angeles hopes to capitalize on the time they have with a prime Doncic.
Lakers Could Explore A Massive Austin Reaves Trade
If Reaves isn’t living up to his new contract extension, along with the fact that he could start taking the blame from fans for signing a big deal that left the Lakers without money to bring in other top free agents, he could hit the trade block relatively soon.
Reaves trade rumors aren’t new, but have been put to bed over the past few months after his new deal. Still, if the Lakers clearly need to make a change, he’s likely the one to be dealt, especially considering getting his contract off the books would create a lot more flexibility for Los Angeles to replace him with someone better suited to play alongside Doncic, regardless of the position.
Also writing for LakeShowLife, Collin Keane outlined how a Reaves trade to bring in defensive help can’t be ruled out.
“I’d still be open to the idea of trading Reaves if I was getting a pair of two-way, starter-level players back in the deal. Yes, even if both of these guys were deemed “worse” players than Reaves offensively or even from an overall standpoint, I’d still consider a trade like this, depending on the specific players in question,” he wrote.
Granted, the Lakers have said publicly numerous times they believe in the backcourt duo of Doncic and Reaves, and have hope these two stars will be leading them for the next several years.
Still, if things aren’t going well, it’s Reaves, not Doncic, who will once again be placed in trade rumors. The Lakers could use him in a deal to add a high-level defender, which, after last season, was clear they needed.
“There’s also the fact that Reaves — like Doncic — is a liability defensively. By trading him and getting defensive value in return, you’d be mitigating your biggest weakness as a club,” Keane added. “In other words, the Lakers don’t need another high-usage creator beyond Doncic to make their offense functional, or even elite. What they do need are players who can defend at a high level and finish plays that Doncic constantly creates.”
For now, Reaves is safe, but if he or the team isn’t living up to expectations, get ready to hear the shooting guard’s name in trade rumors until the Lakers start playing better or make a big change.
Austin Reaves Gets Concerning Trade News Before Lakers Season Even Begins