Lakers Set Stiff All-Star Benchmark on Any Potential Austin Reaves Deal

After securing their starting guard with a four-year, $180 million commitment, front-office decision-makers view the 28-year-old playmaker as an essential backcourt partner for superstar Luka Doncic.

The Los Angeles Lakers have established an exceptionally steep threshold in trade discussions involving Austin Reaves, signaling that only an elite contributor would persuade the organization to consider moving their starting guard.

That uncompromising posture aligns with recent franchise history, as front-office leadership repeatedly declined opportunities to acquire established talent rather than surrender the 28-year-old playmaker. On his podcast, NBA reporter Jovan Buha explained that Los Angeles previously bypassed trade scenarios featuring Kyrie Irving, Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, De'Aaron Fox, and Trae Young because the front office refused to include Reaves. Decision-makers also kept him out of the framework that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles.

"The Lakers could have had Kyrie if they were willing to give up Austin, and they said no. They kept Austin out of the Luka trade," Buha said, underscoring the organization's reluctance to sacrifice Reaves. "They've had opportunities – Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, De'Aaron Fox, Trae Young – where the Lakers could have potentially traded for an All-Star-level player. Were they willing to give up Austin Reaves? They've continually said no."

"And so the bar to trade Austin is high," Buha continued. "On top of that, they just re-signed him. My continued understanding of where they're at with Austin is if they trade Austin, it's to level up."

That commitment was formalized over the summer when Reaves agreed to a four-year extension worth $180 million after bypassing a player option valued at $14.9 million. The deal arrived following a breakthrough season where Reaves generated career marks of 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds across 51 appearances. Rival interest mounted beforehand; Detroit stood prepared to table a lucrative offer if Los Angeles hesitated, ESPN reported, but the guard remained in Southern California.

Beyond scoring output, Reaves occupies a vital tactical niche alongside Doncic. With opposing defenses focusing heavily on containing Doncic, Los Angeles depends on a composed secondary ball handler capable of attacking scrambled rotations and initiating reliable half-court offense. The pairing mirrors the productive combinations Doncic formed in Dallas alongside Jalen Brunson and Irving.

"I think Austin complements Luka really well. We've seen Brunson and Kyrie and just having that sidekick ball handler of a certain caliber," Buha said. "That's partly why he likes Austin so much and has wanted Austin. Of course they have the bromance, but there's a basketball component."

Buha dismissed proposals suggesting the Lakers should sacrifice Reaves to acquire frontcourt rim protection or an additional perimeter defender.

"People will mention trading Austin for a big or trading Austin for a wing. I'm like, 'All right, but then you need to backfill that hole because that's a massive hole on this team,'" Buha said. "The Lakers need a ball handler of a certain caliber to complement Luka and supplement what he does and be that sidekick offensive piece. If you trade Austin, you need someone pretty similar, in my opinion, to him from a ball-handling, shot-creating standpoint."

According to Buha, replacing that specific offensive skill set would require landing an accomplished playmaker who ranks among the league's top fifty talents. Buha pointed to Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Scottie Barnes, and Jaylen Brown as hypothetical examples of the caliber required to justify trade talks, emphasizing those names serve as benchmarks rather than active targets.

"You need another at least top-50 guy who can score and pass and playmake at a certain level, relatively close to Austin," Buha said. "The Lakers have continually rejected trades for players who, on paper, were better than Austin because they have valued him at such a high level."

"I think it's more something like that rather than a player who's at a similar level or below Austin," Buha added. "That's my understanding of the situation. If that changes in the future, then that changes in the future. But I think that's where they're at."

With rival clubs preparing proposals ahead of the winter transaction cycle, rival executives understand that packages featuring draft capital or role players face swift rejection. Unless a partner offers an undisputed star who meaningfully raises title aspirations, Los Angeles intends to preserve its backcourt combination.

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BasketNews Article October 11, 2026