3 major things the Lakers have in common with the 2020 title team

3. The Lakers are getting an Alex Caruso-level impact from Austin Reaves

Alex Caruso was wildly important to the Lakers’ success during the 2020 championship run. In fact, he and LeBron James had the best net rating of any two-man combination in the entire league that season. That is how good Caruso was for the team.

Austin Reaves may not have the same style of play as Caruso but he is having a similar impact for the Lakers as an undrafted rookie. Reaves, like Caruso, showed potential before this season but him taking a leap has given the team an impact they might not have expected to get.

Reaves is not a lockdown defender like Caruso but he still puts in a lot of effort on that end and can hold his own. Instead, it is Reaves’ impact on the offensive end that has played a big role for this Lakers team, especially during this hot stretch.

The best part for Los Angeles is that they have two young players who are having far bigger impacts than expected. While he is not homegrown like Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV has been incredible for Los Angeles this season and has also turned in a bigger impact than the Lakers might have been expecting.

The 3 most likely minimum contracts the Lakers will include in a trade

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to work out a unique trade package and will have to part ways with a player on a minimum deal.

These two young role players have become a key part of the foundation in a similar way as Caruso was in 2020. If the team can make the right roster tweaks moving forward to maximize this foundation then good things could happen in 2023.