The Los Angeles Lakers could soon be trading a player they once deemed untouchable.
In a new report from Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, Buckley suggested that Los Angeles could trade Austin Reaves to the Denver Nuggets this season in a blockbuster deal. The trade would likely involve multiple teams and could bring Trae Young to the Lakers.
Buckley called the Nuggets the “best landing spot” for Reaves.
“It’s tough to gauge the Lakers’ willingness to deal Reaves, who has been deemed “virtually untouchable” in the past, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick,” Buckley said.
“As the scribe conceded, though, if L.A. manages to make a substantial splash on the trade market, “it will almost certainly have to include [Reaves].”
“The Nuggets are struggling to provide proper support to three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Turns out, letting key contributors like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown Jr. leave for nothing in free agency maybe wasn’t a great idea.”
“Denver needs better scoring, shooting and creation around Jokić, and Reaves could help in all areas (while getting great mileage out of his ball-cuts alongside a table-setter like Jokić).”
“Fleshing out a two-team trade for Reaves that works for Denver and L.A. isn’t easy, but bringing in a third team might do the trick. Perhaps a team like the Hawks could grease the gears for an exchange that puts Trae Young in L.A., Reaves in Denver and draft assets attached to Michael Porter Jr. in Atlanta.”
Reaves is in the second year of a four-year, $58.3 million contract.
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