Austin Reaves was once seen as just a flash in the pan, but he has now become an integral piece for the Los Angeles Lakers. Such has been Reaves’ rise that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has had quite a few offers come his way for the guard.
NBA analyst Jason McIntyre brought up a report on The Herd that stated that the Lakers have rejected 20 offers for Reaves over the last year and would only part with him for two superstars.
“There are reports out there that the Lakers have turned down, wait for it, 20 offers in the last year for Austin Reaves,” McIntyre said. “The report goes on to say Pelinka is only interested in dealing Reaves in a package for Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or [Nikola] Jokic. I mean, I did laugh when I first heard that.”
That is wild and shows how highly the Lakers value Reaves. The 27-year-old is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26, while shooting 50.7% from the field.
This has easily been the best season of Reaves’ career, and he could end up becoming an All-Star for the first time in 2026. The Lakers can certainly get a lot of assets if they trade him away now, but they are only willing to do so for Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That list probably should have more players along with Jokic and Antetokounmpo, though. You’d put the likes of Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama in there as well. Now, such players rarely become available, but one of them might soon.
Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks is uncertain at this point. The Bucks are 11th in the East with a 17-24 record, and many are wondering if the two-time MVP will ask out before the trade deadline or in the summer.
The Lakers are said to be one of the teams wondering if they should hold on to their assets in case Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 2025-26, becomes available. If that does happen, then any offer that the Lakers put on the table would have Reaves in it.
As for the other superstar initially mentioned, Jokic isn’t going anywhere. There has never been any buzz about the Serb asking out, and his Denver Nuggets are currently third in the West with a 29-14 record. The Nuggets have done well even without Jokic, going 7-4 in the 11 games he has missed so far. He has plenty of help for once and has no reason to want out.
While Lakers fans wouldn’t be too disappointed if Reaves nets them any of the superstars mentioned above, they would be quite unhappy if the front office pulls off the kind of trade that Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul suggested. Paul had urged the Lakers to trade the guard for Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Lakers fans called Paul out for suggesting this Reaves-Jackson trade, and he certainly isn’t a very popular figure in Los Angeles now. He has since walked back his comments with all the backlash coming his way.
While a Reaves trade is unlikely as things stand, there is a chance this will be his last season with the Lakers. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and plenty of teams would be interested. The Lakers are reportedly fully committed to Reaves, though, so you’d expect them to sort out a deal after this season.
