Austin Reaves’ uneven start to the 2024-25 season has sparked speculation about his role alongside Luka Doncic on the Lakers, though the team is not currently considering trading him, according to NBA reporter Jovan Buha.
Reaves has had a turnover-riddled beginning to the season that has already prompted questions about his fit with the star forward. However, Buha stressed on his podcast that seven games represent too small a sample size to draw firm conclusions about the guard’s long-term prospects.
“I agree with a lot of the criticism,” Buha said. “He’s not looked like a number one when Luka has been off the floor recently. He’s not playing up to the level he needs to play to, based on the contract.”
Still, Buha cautioned against immediately moving Reaves as a solution. “I don’t think the solution is just trade him or give up on the partnership,” he explained. “I think you gotta exhaust your options, figure out a way to optimize it. Austin deserves an opportunity to play better.”
Buha indicated that if Reaves’ performance issues persist over the coming months, the Lakers could evaluate their options at the trade deadline. However, a practical obstacle currently prevents any move: Reaves is not eligible to be traded until January 15.
If the Lakers eventually pursue a deal, Buha believes the bar should be extremely high. “If you trade Austin, you need to get back a better version of Austin,” he said. “You need another high-level ball handler, shot creator, offensive piece to complement Luka.”
Buha noted that simply upgrading defensively or shooting would not justify losing Reaves’ playmaking abilities. Without a primary ball handler alongside Luka, the Lakers’ offense would suffer significantly, with Collin Sexton as a potential secondary option.
“If that’s your second-best ball handler, you’re not really a serious offense,” Buha argued.
Any trade return would need to be a top-tier offensive talent. “If you trade Austin eventually, it needs to be a high, high, high-level offensive player,” Buha said. “Otherwise, it’s too big of a downgrade.”
When exploring potential replacements, Buha mentioned Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome and Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray as hypothetical possibilities, though he expressed skepticism about either representing a major upgrade. “I don’t see either of those guys as a massive upgrade over Austin,” Buha noted, adding that both are smaller than Reaves.
According to Buha, Reaves’ ultimate value may be determined more by playoff performance than by his current early-season struggles.
Key facts
- Austin Reaves has had an uneven, turnover-riddled start to the 2024-25 season
- The Lakers are not currently planning to trade Reaves despite early struggles
- Reaves is ineligible for trade until January 15
- NBA reporter Jovan Buha says seven games is too small a sample to justify major decisions
- If traded, Reaves’ replacement would need to be a top-30 caliber offensive player with strong ball-handling and playmaking
- Jamal Murray and Ty Jerome were mentioned as purely hypothetical offensive replacements