Former Player Ranks Philadelphia 76ers Star Over LA Lakers Standout

Is 76ers star Paul George a better third option than Austin Reaves?

Nov 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) defends against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Over the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers former the NBA's newest big three after signing Paul George in free agency. Even with the group falling short of expectations, one former player argued the All-Star forward is a better top option than a standout player on the new-look LA Lakers roster.

At the trade deadline, the Lakers went through a franchise-altering change when they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. As expected, many are high on LA now that they've landed the superstar guard. That said, one former player brought up a different case on why he likes the Lakers moving forward.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Patrick Beverley made an argument for Lakers guard Austin Reaves being the best third option in the NBA right now. This bold take was met with some pushback, as Chandler Parsons discussed it on FanDuel TV's Run It Back show Thursday. When listing players he'd put ahead of Reaves right now, he brought up PG.

Austin Reaves is having a great season, but Patrick Beverley is capping 🧢

The crew says Chet Holmgren, Paul George or Tyrese Maxey, and Bradley Beal are better third options than what the Lakers have.@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/LFfuASSdDh

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 20, 2025

Reaves is having his best season in the pros to date, posting averages of 19.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 6.1 APG. When looking at their entire body of work, it's easy to see why Parsons would side with someone like PG over the Lakers' homegrown talent.

There is no denying that Reaves has made big strides as a player since arriving in the NBA. That said, George is still a multi-time All-Star who was once the face of a franchise. Even if he isn't playing at the level he once did, having someone of that ilk as a third option is a luxury for any team.

Injuries have played a factor in the slight dip in production, but PG has been an all-around talent in his first year in Philly. On the season, he is currently averaging 16.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG while shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc.

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