All signs point to the Los Angeles Lakers at least wanting to be buyers in the NBA trade market, specifically with adding a player that can help elevate their defense, something head coach JJ Redick has been brutally honest about being one of their biggest concerns.
However, if the Lakers really want to add an impactful player, they might be forced to give up a lot in a potential trade. Recently, Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns was named as a 3-and-D player that they could target in the trade market. But with how well the long-time LeBron James rival has been playing this season, the price tag of the 29-year-old might cause Los Angeles to make wholesale changes, specifically in the form of Austin Reaves.
If the Lakers really want to add a perimeter player that can offer help on both sides of the ball, they might be forced to give up Reaves, as he is set to become a free agent this summer, and the potential contract he could earn might be too rich for the now Luka Doncic-led Los Angeles team.
That’s why former NBA All-Star Demarcus Cousins thinks the Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to make a major trade that would bring in Brooks and send back Reaves to the Suns.
Lakers Urged To Move Reaves For Brooks In Trade Idea
Speaking on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, the ex-NBA star, Cousins, said that he would make a trade for Brooks ‘in a heartbeat‘ even if it meant cutting ties with Reaves.
“He’s a culture changer. He’s a proven winner,” Cousins said of Brooks, and why the Lakers should make a trade to add him. “We talk about all the glaring holes that come with this Lakers team. He fits exactly what they need right now…You getting a two-way player compared to a one-sided player. Why wouldn’t you do it?”
“He’s a culture changer. He’s a proven winner… Brooks fits exactly what the Lakers need right now. … why wouldn’t you do it?”
@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23Cousins added that if the names and highlights are taken out of consideration in this potential deal, Brooks fits the needs of the Lakers more than Reaves right now. His co-host, former three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, agreed that Brooks could help fix the biggest issues facing Los Angeles through their first 33 games of the 2025-26 NBA season.
“I like this debate, because I’m in a little bit,” Williams said of Cousins’ trade pitch. “I would strongly consider it. Listen, we just talked about Luka averaging 35 points. How much more scoring do [the Lakers] really need?”
Williams cited the redundancy of the Lakers playing Doncic and Reaves next to each other. In the trade idea, they could get back a player who has proven to be a solid scorer this year, but has way more upside on the defensive end of the floor.
While questions remain on whether James would sign off on a trade like this, Los Angeles doesn’t appear to be catering to his needs anymore, especially considering his own uncertain future with the franchise.
Lakers Get Bad News On Top Trade Targets
While Brooks has been a name recently floated out as a potential trade candidate for the Lakers to target, he still sits behind Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans. Those two have consistently come up in Lakers trade rumors, but according to a recent report, making a deal for either might not come that easily.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, New Orleans is extremely hesitant to listen to offers for Jones and Murphy. While the Golden State Warriors were another team linked to the 3-and-D players, the Pelicans might not be willing to give up either of them before the February 5th trade deadline.
“The market for such wings who can shoot from distance and defend remains quite limited, with New Orleans still resistant to trade interest in both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III,” Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter.
Like in a deal for Brooks, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka could choose to put Reaves on the bargaining table for either Jones or Murphy. The price for both appears to be rising as the trade deadline approaches, and if he and Redick are serious about putting a championship-contending team around Doncic, it may be their best bet.
The Lakers have struggled immensely recently on the defensive end of the floor, and things don’t look like they’ll get better anytime soon. It truly comes down to how much they value Reaves and if he’ll be worth the potential max contract he is expected to sign over the upcoming offseason.
Lakers Urged To Cut Ties With Reaves For LeBron Enemy In Trade