The Los Angeles Lakers are in a precarious position. They need to re-sign Austin Reaves this summer, but there are rumblings that the Brooklyn Nets could get in the way of that. But if Reaves does decide to sign in Brooklyn, Trae Young may have just given Luka Doncic and the Lakers a backup plan.
Young will decline his player option with the Washington Wizards, meaning he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If LeBron James and Reaves both depart this summer, the Lakers would not only have some serious cap space, but they’d also have to find a new co-star to play alongside Doncic.
The Lakers could target Young in that scenario.
Trae Young could be Lakers' Austin Reaves backup plan
Young declining his player option makes things very interesting this summer. Most expected that he would simply return to the Wizards, but now – in theory – anything is possible.
Obviously, the Lakers don’t seem like the most likely landing spot for a guy like Young. They already have their lead ball-handler in Doncic. He’s going to need the ball in his hands a lot.
But again, let’s live in a disaster world for a moment. A world where James decides to leave the Lakers and pursue a new opportunity next season (which seems unlikely at this current moment in time).
In this world, Reaves would also leave the Lakers, likely signing a deal with the Nets. Well, in that world, then perhaps Young could be an option for the Lakers to consider.
The fit alongside Doncic would be far from perfect, but Young’s scoring, ball-handling, and playmaking could help take some of the offensive pressure off the Lakers star.
All that being said, let’s be perfectly clear – signing Young is not a great idea for the Lakers. They should not make Young their new priority in free agency this summer. Not even close.
However, what if Reaves leaves? What if James leaves, too? Even then, the idea seems a bit questionable, but there is a world where the Lakers could value the star power.
That’s why it could be an emergency option. Once the Lakers are in a state of emergency, they could consider some things they may not otherwise consider. And Young could be one of them.
In an ideal world, the Lakers get Reaves back and can build around him and Doncic. Young wouldn’t even be a legitimate option in that case.
But perhaps he could be an emergency backup for Doncic if Reaves leaves in free agency.
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