Lakers cannot afford to trade Austin Reaves
This one is a no-brainer as the Lakers have poured a lot into Austin Reaves and he has paid the team back in big ways. Reaves might be the biggest fan favorite on the roster and if the Lakers were to trade him the team would truly have to get a big-name superstar in return.
While this seems like a no-brainer, Reaves' name has still been thrown around in some trade rumors. The Lakers definitely are not shopping him but the Bulls have reportedly made it clear that they want him in any potential LaVine trade. That alone should kill any trade talks between the two sides.
Even if the Lakers want to make a huge splash and go get someone like Pascal Siakam it won't be worth it. Toronto would be justified to ask for Reaves in the trade but in the grand scheme of things, the Lakers are better off keeping their homegrown fan favorite.
Non-Lakers fans will look at Reaves' averages and think that the team is silly for making him untouchable but his impact goes deeper than the box score. Reaves is doing what he is doing as the third, fourth, and sometimes fifth option.
He has proven that he can take over games in big spots and he is only continuing to get better with more experience in the league. Reaves may never reach all-star form, but he is already one of the most important players on the roster.