Austin Reaves Discussion: How Much Is He Worth?

it's about fielding a good, competitive basketball team. this weird ring absolutism is kind of the enemy of progress, actually. "well, if i can't guarantee it will win me a title, i'm out!"

also betting against any given strategy as guaranteeing a ring is a winning proposition in itself!

here, let me try:

if we trade austin reaves, we'll NEVER win a ring.

wait five years. great chance i'm right. yay?

 

The f***? Now Austin Reaves is a better player than Anthony Davis? Dude you are just trolling now.

 

Hard to agree with someone who said you couldn’t just let DLO walk because you couldn’t find what he brought to the team…said he wouldn’t touch Marcus Smart when he was available and wanted/wants to trade 1st round picks and give 20million to bench warmer’s like Ellis

 

in the limited sample from last year? most definitely. it's why AD got traded for expiring contracts, the last pick of this year's first round, and a protected future pick.

if you put both guys on the open market right now, the one fetching a bigger offer isn't the one you're thinking.

like, you think we couldn't trade reaves for two s***ty firsts and expirings?

 

Please answer my question.Is this about winning championships or not? Simple yes or no will suffice

 

you couldn't let him walk because we were over the cap and he was probably our third best player at the time, sadly. we replaced what he brought via reaves's development and then the trade for luka. without either of those things, we had no ballhandling or creating on the roster.

huh? i suggested possibly trading for him before he got cut. might have been one of maybe three people saying such things at the time.

we should have traded a first for ellis if we could have. we'd have his low cap hold right now and not be fretting about finding money for kennard and smart while also finding another perimeter defender.

anyway, your argument sucks, so keep going to the personal attacks. it's working great.

 

no. i feel bad for people with this mentality, especially as a fan and not a player. it's frankly weird.

 

Ok buddy. I don't know..maybe you are the only person, that thinks Austin Reaves is even worth two s***ty firsts. I personally.. wouldn't give up two FRP for him, but you are welcome to your opinion on the matter.

Austin is my dude, but you are geeking out a bit, on his value IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if his market, won't be considered a little flat/ luke warm this summer, but hey.....we shall see.

 

so you think reaves couldn't be traded for two first rounders? on a roll, brother.

 

Bottom line is Luka just told everyone that he doesn’t even want Austin included in a Giannis trade.
Luka needs to feel like he is heard from our FO. If he’s not, he can just tell them that he’s not signing his extension in 2028.

 

no. he's worth less than two late first rounders and should have a 30m cap on his salary because all the comparable players in the league all have such caps on their salaries. also rings or something.

 

Who are these comparable players? I get lost with these comparisons...who are talking about exactly? I need a few names for a reference point please.

 

The rest of the NBA fanbase doesn't see Austin Reaves as the player you guys seem to think he is.

It might be time for you to get out of this Lakers bubble. You guys are valuing Reaves as some top 20 player. He's more along the lines of top 40.

He's good, not great.

Big difference.

Every year, he's a borderline All-Star. MAYBE.

You want a guaranteed All-Star alongside Luka. An All-NBA guaranteed player.

Reaves is not that. Sorry if that upsets you but it's the truth.

When did I say trade AR and picks for an old guy? I clearly said for Kyrie + PJ + Lively. So you give up Vando (salary dump) and Knecht along with a 1st round pick and two seconds, two players who will get no playing time and give Luka one of his best friends in the league (Kyrie), PJ who is on a very versatile player, and Lively who was on a tear with Luka in Mavs. Mavs, if they're not sour about the AD-Luka trade will jump at this because they get the younger player in Reaves.

Luka
LeBron
Kyrie
PJ Washington
Lively

or
Luka
LeBron
Reaves
Vanderbilt
Knecht

Use your head...
Explain to me how that is a bad deal. Go.

 

↑
Marcus Smart anyone? Better than Gabe that’s for sure
maybe three years ago, but he fell off a cliff and i wouldn't touch him now.

Jun 19, 2025Report
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Still want to stick with your story

 

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/players.html

Around 40: Ja, Garland, Wagner, MPJ, Ingram

Around 35: Bane, Suggs, Green, Kyrie

Around 30:Quickley, Grant, Poole, Herro

When they were signed also matters as the cap keeps increasing.
Wagner, Bane and Quickley are more recent

 

If that makes you feel better about yourself.

 

I don't know. I'm taking Austin at his word that winning and contending are extremely important factors for him. Now I'm not sure they are many teams that fit that build , who would give up 2 FRP for Austin Reaves. Perhaps you can suggest a few?

 

So because other teams overpay and don't have expectations to win a title, Lakers should follow in their footsteps.

There's a difference here you aren't taking into account.

Lakers have to be more selective of who they pay because they are trying to contend for the present and future.

Those teams that signed Ja, Garland, etc., had to pay those dudes because no one is coming to their team in free agency or begging to be traded to their team... so you have to keep them at all costs. And they never had a chance at winning or contending for a title anyways so no one really cares how much they get paid.

 

Lots of excuse making.Should just admit you were wrong on all accounts.Just stating the facts and if facts suck so be it

 

You traded for Kawhi. I was joking and having some banter, it's not personal. I really think it's possibly the worse I idea I heard.

Because Kyrie is old and coming from a ACL, it can go terribly wrong and he simply can't play. Bron will be 42.
He and Bron will never be traded again because they are old and their salaries will expire into vacuum leaving you with Luka and a bunch of role players, without cap space to improve the roster and after you spend the picks we have now we only get 2 picks to trade again in 2030. So it would be pretty much impossible to get any relevant partner for Luka.
It's bad for the present and the future. Most likely scenario is Luka leaves before the end of his current contract. Same with Kawhi scenario.

Maybe you get a chance next year if all goes well, which is a big if. But after that it's very likely that you won't be able to compete for a championship.
And recent history has been showing that old guys don't get to the playoffs healthy, so...