The talk around the Los Angeles Lakers is whether this is the final year for LeBron James in a Lakers uniform. Equal time should probably go to discussing whether Austin Reaves is in line to be traded this season -- and if so, what player Rob Pelinka could be targeting in return.
Reaves is the kind of player every team wants to keep around. A homegrown player that the Lakers took from undrafted to 20-point scorer? That's the diamond in the rough teams want to show off to the other teams. He plays hard, he continues to improve, and he is currently on a bargain deal.
That will change next summer, however, when he becomes a free agent and is in line for a massive payday. In the era of second tax aprons, the question has to be asked if the Lakers are best served by handing max-type contracts to two players who are best in the same role: on-ball scorers and playmakers. Would they be better off swapping Reaves for a two-way player who doesn't need the ball in his hands to maximize his value?
If the answer is yes, then the question turns to who the Lakers should target in a trade. One name suggested by longtime NBA writer Tom Ziller is Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers could trade Reaves for McDaniels
The 6'9" forward is an All-Defense level player who can defend multiple positions, sliding from quicker guards to larger wings. The Lakers saw firsthand the impact he can have when they faced his length in last year's playoff series, one they lost in 5 to the Timberwolves. Add in that McDaniels is a force in the open court and a solid spot-up shooter (who should only excel playing off of Luka Doncic) and the possibility begins to become compelling.
Here is what a trade could look like, per Ziller:
The Lakers pry open their future financial flexibility by moving on from Vanderbilt and getting out of paying Reaves his next contract. McDaniels is on a cost-controlled contract for the next four years that will pay him like a mid-tier starter, around $27 million per season. He would be complementary to Doncic in a way that Reaves is not.
The Lakers still need to find secondary shot creation, be that LeBron James or someone else. The Lakers could try and demand draft compensation come back to them as well. Yet this deal would provide the Lakers with a roster that makes more sense moving forward, with two core pieces locked up long-term at good value in Doncic and McDaniels.
That's the kind of trade that makes sense for all sides. Would the Lakers make it? That's a more difficult question to answer. They should certainly consider it, and this might just be the next shocking blockbuster for Pelinka and company to pull off.