The 2025-26 NBA season proved to be the best of Austin Reaves‘ young career. Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers, while shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc.
Reaves’ continued improvement since going undrafted in 2021 has made him one of the best development stories in the NBA, but the timing of this particular leap wasn’t ideal for the Lakers. The 28-year-old has a $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 that he is expected to opt out of to become an unrestricted free agent.
Reaves’ excellent play has led to him drawing interest from teams around the league, with the Brooklyn Nets expected to put a four-year, $178.5 million max contract on the table. That might be too big a deal for the Lakers, but they also wouldn’t want to lose the guard for nothing. So, what can be done in this situation?
Well, NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson has put together a mock deal that sees the Lakers send Reaves to the Nets via sign-and-trade. Here is what it would look like.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Nic Claxton, Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams, No. 6 pick
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick
Robinson pointed out that due to the Base Year Compensation rule, this would have to be expanded to a three-team deal.
“To make this layout work, the Lakers would ultimately have to loop in a third team to absorb excess salary or include an additional mid-tier contract—such as Maxi Kleber’s contract—to officially bridge the mathematical gap.”
This trade also wouldn’t be possible before the 2026 NBA Draft because of the Stepien Rule. The Nets would have to select a player with the No. 6 pick and then trade the rights to the Lakers once the transaction window opens.
The Lakers Get A Defensive Specialist And A Blue-Chip Prospect
The Lakers have lacked a defensive anchor since they traded away Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, and they get one in Nic Claxton. Claxton, who earned some DPOY votes in 2023, is the kind of athletic defender that a team needs next to Doncic. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in 2025-26.
Claxton is a great rim-runner as well, and Doncic should be able to get the best out of him. He isn’t a star, but would be a good fit.
As for the other two players, Terance Mann put up 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Nets in 2025-26. Mann is a solid rotational piece, but didn’t have the kind of impact defensively as you’d have expected this season.
Ziaire Willians, meanwhile, averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26. Like Mann, Williams is a rotational piece, but with more upside at 24.
While these two aren’t worth a lot on the trade market, that No. 6 pick in this 2026 NBA Draft sure is. The Lakers could either keep the player the Nets select or move him to get someone who is ready to contribute right away.
The Nets Get Austin Reaves And Valuable Draft Capital
For the Nets, Reaves is obviously the big prize. They get their new primary ball-handler and another quality scorer next to Michael Porter Jr. These two wouldn’t be in the running for best duos in the NBA, but they’d be a pretty good one nonetheless.
The Nets also get a replacement for Claxton in Deandre Ayton. Ayton averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2025-26. He didn’t have the greatest of seasons, but he remains a mid-tier starting center in the NBA.
Jake LaRavia was a bit up and down as well, as he put up 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Lakers. LaRavia struggled with his outside shot (32.1% from three), but is still a solid defender and rebounder at the forward spots.
Much like with the Lakers, it is in the draft capital that we find a lot of value. Doncic might not be the force that he is today come 2033, which makes that pick, in particular, a very valuable one.
Who Says No?
The Nets probably do say no to this. The reason is simple. They can sign Reaves directly without having to give up anything. Sure, those Lakers picks could be great, but they are giving up a pick that is great this year and also Claxton, who is surely worth at least a first-rounder. Ayton and LaRavia aren’t game-changers either, so they don’t really have any incentive to go for a sign-and-trade.
