Fastbreak

NBA Pundit Says Lakers Star Will Get Traded This Summer

Bill Simmons thinks the Los Angeles Lakers will trade Austin Reaves.

Ben Stinar

Dec 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Austin Reaves is one of the best players on the Los Angeles Lakers.

He finished this past season with averages of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 46.0% from the field and 37.7% from the three-point range in 73 games.

Austin Reaves
Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

At just 26 (on an affordable contract), Reaves is one of the best trade assets on the Lakers.

Bill Simmons thinks the former Oklahoma Star will be traded this summer.

He was speaking about how the Mavs did not get Reaves in the Luka Doncic trade.

Simmons: "When Reaves gets traded this summer, and he will get traded, and the stuff that they get back for him is going to make it seem even worse that they didn't get him in the trade."

Reaves went undrafted in 2021.

He has spent each of his first four seasons playing for the Lakers.

His career averages are 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest while shooting 48.1% from the field and 37.0% from the three-point range in 280 games.

During the 2023 season, Reaves helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference finals.

Via The NBA (on April 9): "Since March 1st, 12 players in the NBA are averaging 20+ PPG, 5+ RPG and 5+ APG.

The Lakers have three of them:

💪 Luka Dončić 💪 LeBron James 💪 Austin Reaves"

The Lakers finished the regular season as the third seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record.

They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs (in five games).

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Ben Stinar
BEN STINAR

Ben Stinar covers basketball for ''Ball Around on SI'' and ''Fastbreak on SI'' and other Hilltop30 Media Group sites on the Sports Illustrated network.