With only one tradable first round pick and their swaps devalued due to Luka trade, the Los Angeles Lakers should consider making Austin Reaves their primary trading chip for a center instead of their first round pick.
Despite struggling with a big toe injury in the playoffs, Reaves is probably the Lakers’ most valuable trading chip coming off a break-out regular season where he averaged 20.2/4.5/5.8 while shooting 46.0/37.7/87.7%. Reaves’ value is probably at an all-time high right now as his impactful performance and team friendly contract makes him an invaluable building block every GM covets to free up cap space for other roster needs.
While the Lakers don’t want to trade Austin, Pelinka understands the Lakers cannot win a championship with a Doncic and Reaves backcourt and trading Austin is easily the best path to acquiring a starting center.
Putting together a package for a quality starting center that includes Austin Reaves instead of their first round draft pick is a difference maker as it still leaves L.A. with the ability to make a second move for a POA defender.
Adding Luka greatly devalued the Lakers 5 first round pick swaps, making it unlikely that they would end up with a lottery pick in any future draft and limiting them to just one tradable first round pick for their draft capital.
By including Austin Reaves in a package for a starting center, the Lakers not only get a starting center and backup power forward but also open up the starting shooting guard spot next to Luka for an elite POA defender.
So let’s take a closer look at two Austin Reaves no-pick trades that would bring the Los Angeles Lakers a starting center and backup power forward but still allow them to retain their only tradable first round draft pick.
1. DANIEL GAFFORD & PJ WASHINGTON TRADE
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In the perfect no-picks follow up to the Luka and AD trade, the Lakers send guard Austin Reaves and guard Gabe Vincent to the Mavericks in a straight exchange for center Daniel Gafford and forward PJ Washington.
With Kyrie Irving possibly out for part or all of next season, the Mavs are going to be desperate to add help in the backcourt and will be overloaded with quality centers and power forwards assuming they draft Cooper Flag.
Pelinka and Harrison are still on good terms and a second trade between the two is possible. The Lakers need a center like Gafford who fits with Luka and the Mavs could use a talented young guard like Austin Reaves.
From the Lakers’ standpoint, the trade gives them a quality starting center in Gafford, who has experience playing with Luka, and a quality power forward in Washington, who gives the front court more size and shooting.
The 26-year old Gafford and 26-year old Washington will both be in the last year of their contracts next season and will be looking for extensions and pay increases, which is why they’re the logical trade pieces for the Lakers.
From the Mavs’ standpoint, they get a future all-star point guard in Austin Reaves and solid 3&D combo guard in Gabe Vincent to help weather Kyrie’s injury and rebalance their roster between their front and back courts.
The Mavs also add two high percentage 3-point shooters in Reaves and Vincent that they will desperately need to provide spacing for Davis, Lively, and Flagg until Kyrie finally returns from the torn ACL injury he suffered.
The basketball gods obviously want to help Rob Pelinka and the Lakers and Nico Harrison and the Mavs be successful. It would not be a surprise to see L.A. and Dallas make a second mega trade involving Gafford and Reaves.
2. ROBERT WILLIAMS & DENI AVDIJA TRADE
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Looking to upsize and balance their roster, the Lakers send guard Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura to the Trailblazers in a straight exchange for center Robert Williams III and forward Deni Avdija.
With a talented young roster, the Trailblazers are looking for a proven point guard like Austin Reaves to mentor Scoot Henderson and for proven vets like Rui Hachimura to help transform Portland into a legit winning team.
The Blazers will have another lottery pick to add to their roster and rotation from this year’s draft, have extended the contract of head coach Chauncey Billups, and will be looking for strong player growth and development.
From the Lakers’ standpoint, they add an uber talented but often injured center in 27-year old Robert Williams III, who can anchor a defense, and a rising young diverse two-way small forward in 24-year old Deni Avdija.
Williams is obviously an injury risk since he was only able to play in 20 games for the Blazers this past season and only 41 the two years before. The risk is balanced by the not giving up a pick and getting Avdija in the trade.
From the Trailblazers’ point of view, they get a future all-star combo guard in Austin Reaves who can be the glue guy on a championship team and an elite playoff-proven 3-point shooting power forward in Rui Hachimura.
The Trailblazers also move on from the Robert Williams experiment and add a pair of proven winning players in Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura whom they can trust to be their for every game to their improving rotation.
A straight up trade by the Los Angeles Lakers of guard Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura to the Portland Trailblazers for center Robert Williams III and forward Deni Avdija would be win-win for both teams.