NBA Mock Trade: Austin Reaves leaves for West contender as Lakers receive much needed paint presence

Since being signed as an undrafted free agent, Austin Reaves has become a key piece of the Los Angeles Lakers roster. Though he's been a strong complement to the team's stars, speculation has arisen of the front office possibly moving on from him.

With minimal assets at their disposal, the Lakers don't have many options when it comes to making upgrades to the roster. If they want to yield a sizable return, parting with Reaves is likely their best option.

The offseason isn't even fully underway yet, and fans are already working out trades. One recently popped up on Reddit where LA parts with Austin Reaves in exchange for promising young talents in Jalen Duren and Cam Whitmore. The Lakers standout is routed to the Houston Rockets, with Jabari Smith Jr. finding himself on the Detroit Pistons.

More for reaves or not enough? Pistons get much needed floor spacing. byu/Bitter-Illustrator15 inNBAtradeideas

When it comes to areas of need for the Lakers, the center position should be the top priority. Duren could be the answer to their problems for a variety of reasons.

He's been a strong rebounder from the moment he stepped foot in the NBA, and is the kind of big man to put beside Luka Doncic. Duren is a great athlete who could be a constant lob threat in pick-and-rolls with the Lakers star.

Duren, who is extension eligible this offseason, is coming off a season with the Pistons where he averaged 11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

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Austin Reaves expected to command top dollar in free agency in the near future

When it comes to the idea of trading Austin Reaves, his contract is one thing the Lakers have to worry about. While they have him at a team-friendly price right now, that won't be the case for much longer.

Reaves has one final guaranteed year left on his current contract, where he is set to make $13.9 million next season. After that, he has a $14.8 player option for 2026-27. Seeing that he's emerged as an All-Star-level talent, it's doubtful he opts into that final season.

In a column breaking down the Lakers' offseason options, insider Eric Pincus touched on Austin Reaves' contract situation. He noted the young guard could opt out and seek as much as $30 million annually on the open market.

"Reaves is nearly sure to decline his $14.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season to explore unrestricted free agency next summer, seeking a salary in the $30 million starting range. The most he can extend for ($19.5 million) is far short of that number."

Knowing that they soon might not be able to afford him, the Lakers could look to move Reaves and get some sort of return instead of losing him for nothing.