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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) look at the scoreboard with the team down by double digits against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on December 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

H

e has become the man of the hour. But for oh so many wrong reasons. Let’s start with the Los Angeles Lakers‘ ugly Game 3 loss. 

Another game, another defeat for the hapless Lakers going up against the physical, brute defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder did it again. Yes, they won. But they won after striking the Lakers with one big thunder bolt in the third quarter for the third game in a row. 

The game went from tick for tack to an all-out beatdown by the road team. The kids nowadays like to refer to it as giving the belt to you know what. 

Yet again, Lakers star Austin Reaves has come into greater focus than the lopsided loss itself. 

Coming off the best regular season of his career, Reaves was headed toward a game-breaking turning point of his young career.

Then he got hurt, causing him to be sidelined multiple weeks.

Then the playoffs happened. 

Then Reaves came back.

Then Lakers fans — and maybe even Reaves himself, considering the intense blowback he’s received for his performances — wishes he never came back.

There’s a legitimate argument to be made that Reaves has hurt his value in these playoffs. He deserves some break for being thrown into the fire right after suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain, but because he struggled against the champs — and, let’s face it, the team many NBA fans have come to despise — some fans have gone as far as asking his Lakers status be revoked today.

With the Lakers’ season likely ending tomorrow night, an offseason cluttered with Reaves questions is approaching fast.

The Los Angeles Lakers Could Trade Their Star, But … 

Certainly this isn’t breaking news for Lakers fans.

Reaves, 27, has a roughly $15 million player-option for the 2026-27 season, which he is widely expected to decline in hopes of pursuing a much larger contract. 

GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves

Just 10 days ago, many were on the “pay Reaves the bag!” ship. But now, it’s like he has suddenly turned into the wanna-be Kobe whom everyone dislikes for even trying.

The Lakers have a decision to make, likely whether to sign Reaves to a near-max or max-level contract, or entertain some sort of sign-and-trade scenario. L.A. has one thing on its mind above all: put the correct pieces around franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to assemble a roster that can compete with the elites of the NBA.

If the Lakers go down the route of moving Reaves, they must pay attention to a few key details, according to team insider Jovan Buha.

In a question and answer session on his YouTube channel, Buha was asked about the Lakers potentially for Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell. In assessing the hypothetical trade, Buha laid out the mistakes L.A. cannot afford to make.

“I think it would be a big mistake to just move on from Austin and not replace the ball-handling void with a real, high-level handler,” Buha said. 

“If you do replace him,” Buha said of Reaves, “you need to be finding another high-level ball handler [and] playmaker because it cannot just be Luka [Doncic] and a bunch of role players. I don’t think that is at a high enough level [for the Lakers to win].”

L.A. Going After Mitchell for Reaves Trade?

The idea here is to pair Doncic with another explosive scorer in the backcourt. 

Doncic helped guide the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024. But what elevated the Mavericks that season was the elite pairing of Doncic and Kyrie Irving, two score-first guards with impeccable playmaking capacity. 

Mitchell would ideally create a similar duo with Doncic if the Lakers were to pursue a trade for the Cavaliers star.

Said Buha: “I will say, with Donovan, I think you are going to get a certain level of — there’s gonna be some defensive concerns with that. … He’s at a much higher level offensively [than Reaves]. He’s a better player; it offsets some of the defensive concerns as well.” 

Already short on on-ball creators on offense, the Lakers certainly cannot cut ties with Reaves without his replacement being someone who can initiate the offense just as well or better.

Reaves may have hurt his stock with how he has played so far in the playoffs. That could hurt the Lakers if they attempt to move him for a big-name prize. 

If the Lakers’ season indeed ends tomorrow night, the door will officially swing wide open to an offseason full of scenarios.