Austin Reaves was the biggest positive for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. The Arkansas native did not take much time to become the Lakers fan favorite. It was only his sophomore season in the league, and AR was already the third most valuable player on the LA side. But for any special deal with the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers must be ready to sacrifice some of their valuable assets. Perhaps D’Angelo Russell would have been part of the trade package. However, D’Lo has been performing better than Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura at present. Hence, the Lakers might not use D’Lo to trade for Zach LaVine.
Other teams who are top contenders to land LaVine are the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers. Recently, in an interview with Gilbert Arenas, the former Washington Wizards player revealed what he thinks is a good idea. Moreover, Arenas mentioned the Lakers should keep D’Angelo Russell. That would be the perfect move for the LA side. But the Lakers can trade Austin Reaves to sign Zach LaVine, believes Gilbert Arenas.
Why Did Gilbert Arenas Think The Lakers Should Trade Austin Reaves To Sign Zach LaVine?
Reaves has not been at his ultimate best yet this season. Hence, Arenas said that he has doubts that Austin Reaves can be as aggressive as D’Lo as the Lakers point guard. But Gilbert Arenas feels that Russell is more adaptable. Arenas thinks that D’Lo will play his natural game even if Zach LaVine joins LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But Arenas is not sure about Reaves. In the offseason, the Lakers signed AR for a four-year deal worth $56 million.
Gilbert Arenas says the Lakers should trade Austin Reaves over D’Angelo Russell in a potential Zach LaVine trade 👀 pic.twitter.com/0RfKaa9knm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 20, 2023
However, so far this season, Austin Reaves is averaging 13.4 points. He has grabbed 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists so far in the 2023-24 season. On the other hand, D’Angelo Russell has performed better than the Arkansas native. Currently, as the team’s starting point guard, D’Lo is averaging 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. At present, the Lakers are 8-6. Albeit the Lakers have depth and balance in the roster, the front office must be looking for another star. Will that star be Zach LaVine? Only time will tell.
Why Lakers Are Eager To Deal With Bulls?
The Lakers’ front office had plans to see Reaves stay part of the franchise for a long time. Hence, it is highly unlikely that Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham can even discuss about trading the Oklahoma Sooners kid. As things stand, Reaves should be part of the LA Lakers for a long time in the future. However, the Lakers did not have a great start to the current season. Moreover, after losing their sixth game of the season, the rumors suggested that the front office was looking to reshuffle the roster again.
Report: Lakers focused on ‘internal improvement,’ not Zach LaVine trade https://t.co/Lk17cv4xmk pic.twitter.com/vYL31jsnbz
— LA Lakers News (@lakeshowonline) November 21, 2023
Since the Chicago Bulls announced their plans to waive Zach LaVine, the Lakers have shown a lot of interest. In fact, there’s a good chance for the 17-time champions to sign the Bulls star. Moreover, there are rumors suggesting that if the LA side doesn’t get LaVine, then they can also try to acquire Alex Caruso or even the small forward DeMar DeRozan.