The whispers around Austin Reaves’ future have only grown with his decision to decline an extension and aim for a hefty payday next summer. While he and the Lakers remain open to continuing their partnership, one franchise legend believes it’s time to move on from the undrafted gem.
Lakers Hall of Famer Suggests Bold Backcourt Breakup
Robert Horry: Lakers Should Trade Austin Reaves
In a recent episode of his “Big Shot Bob” podcast, Hall of Famer and seven-time champion Robert Horry called for the Lakers to trade Reaves to avoid redundancy with Luka Doncic.
“If the Lakers were smart, they would do a sign-and-trade. And the reason I say that is because when you have a team with two players who are pretty much the same, meaning Luka and AR, and I’m not saying they have the same skill set. They play the same position, they pretty much do the same thing. It’s a wash. And don’t get me wrong, I love AR and I think he could play, but you don’t need two of the same players. You think about the NBA is all about a fit. You look at all the great teams, they all have something different. There’s no two no Jokers. There’s no two Giannises, no two Shai Gilgeouses.”
Reaves’ polarizing stance among Lakers fans and former players comes ahead of another pivotal season for the 27-year-old. The fourth-year guard averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season on .460/.377/.877 splits. He is not only hoping to grow on his strong campaign, but also looking for a significant salary bump next offseason: upwards of $30 million per year on his next deal.
It’s a strong commitment for the Lakers to make. But if things go well this coming season, they may have no choice but to bring Reaves his money.
Lakers Reinforce Stance on Trading Reaves
The Lakers previously made it abundantly clear: they aren’t moving on from Austin Reaves. That stance was reiterated this week by insider Anthony Irwin, who confirmed that—for the most part—they wouldn’t budge on trading him.
“Seeing as LA could potentially lose Reaves for nothing, they’d be remiss not to consider trading him at some point this season, especially if it becomes clear he and Doncic’s athleticism concerns are too much to overcome in pursuit of a championship.
The Lakers quickly cut any talks for Reaves short this summer and would only consider trading him unless he was part of the package for a bona fide star. That won’t stop teams from asking about him this season and, if for any reason those questions about Reaves and Doncic linger, LA will have to take those requests more seriously.”
The team’s criteria for trading Reaves—along with the reality of the situation—presents a host of issues that only keeping him would solve. On one hand, they won’t be able to luck themselves into another generational trade by dangling Reaves for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic—a pair of superstars whose respective futures are under the microscope. On the other hand, there’s little to no chance they’d move him for, say, Andrew Wiggins (making $28 million this season) or Lauri Markkanen ($46 million)—two standouts they’ve been linked to this summer.
If both sides find themselves in dire straits, then the Lakers would likely trade Reaves for an offer they simply can’t refuse. However, for now, fans can rest comfortably knowing that “Hillbilly Kobe” is here to stay.
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