With trade rumors increasing daily, the Lakers reportedly will not include Austin Reaves in such conversations.
The Lakers are no strangers to the NBA rumor mill. Every year, any player with even a whiff of displeasure with their current situation gets whispered as Los Angeles being a potential landing spot.
The flavor of the season this year is Zach LaVine, with many reports linking him with the Lakers. So far, the Lakers have made it clear one player you can take out of the NBA Trade Machine and not include in any trade packages for him is Austin Reaves.
Zach Lowe discussed the Lakers not including Reaves in any trade talks with Dave McMenamin on his latest episode of the Lowe Post.
McMenamin: Certainly, if we’re going to talk about potential trades, we’re not including Austin Reaves’ name. Lowe: People keep asking me how could the Lakers get Zach LaVine with Austin Reaves…They’re not trading Austin Reaves for Zach LaVine. Like, I don’t even think they’d do that trade straight up…if it were even allowed.
A LaVine trade including only Reaves is tens of millions of dollars apart, so the fact the Lakers wouldn't even entertain that is telling.
It signals that the organization values Reaves so highly that the only trade involving him would have to be an offer so enticing and one-sided for the Lakers that they couldn't refuse. With no other talks surfacing, it appears Reaves will likely be a Laker post-trade deadline, barring a major turn of events.
Trade season is silly season in the NBA. We are far away from the February deadline and who knows what names and situations will reveal themselves from now till then. Maybe the ownership change in Dallas makes the Mavericks sellers, perhaps a borderline contender opts to tank instead and values the Lakers' assets better than a play-in spot, or the Lakers could get healthy and think they have enough and move no one.
Whether the Lakers take a legit shot at trading for LaVine remains to be seen, but if they do, don't expect Reaves to be a part of it.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
