Breaking out! Lakers! Trade Rivers! ? ?

After the Lakers were eliminated 1-4, trade rumors related to Lakers defender Austin Reeves frequently spread.

Lakers Daily updated social media today, saying: "Austin Reeves' agent warned about transaction rumors - people have no idea what will happen next."

It is reported that Austin Reeves' next contract will earn more than $30 million annually. In the summer of 2023, Reeves renewed the Lakers with a four-year, early bird max salary contract of 56 million, of which the fourth year was the player option.

According to Ricardo Sandoval, the Lakers will be able to provide Reeves with a four-year, $89.2 million contract extension this summer, but Reeves is expected to refuse to renew and will jump to existing contracts (Reeves holds the player option in the 26-year offseason), and test the free agent market in 26 years. By then, according to the labor-management agreement, Reeves is expected to pursue a contract with an annual salary of $42.5 million.

After the Lakers were eliminated in the first round, the biggest problem was the weak inside line. In the series of defeating the Lakers 4-1 in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of this, which is also the top priority for the Lakers to sign up in the offseason.

If a player can be a reliable aerial relay threat and can influence the game on the defensive end as a franchise guard, Doncic can play the best performance in his partnering. And it also needs to be considered the deeper problem they will face, namely the transition from the LeBron-James era to a future with Doncic at its core.

And the most obvious target is Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks, who was also a former teammate of Doncic. The two must have a much better understanding than players such as Antetokounmpo, Lopez, and Pelter.

The Lakers team reporters have repeatedly emphasized that Reeves is regarded by the management as "one of the future cores". His unball running, stadium awareness and key ball ability are suitable for James and Doncic's system. Unless he receives an All-Star offer, he will not be released easily.

However, for the Lakers, Reeves is still the Lakers' most attractive bargaining chip. The player, who is about to turn 27, averaged 20.2 points per game last season, which is amazing for a undraft.

In addition to Rivers, the Lakers can trade with Gunector, and if the Lakers can combine Reeves, Knector, expiring contracts and their limited remaining draft assets, they can make a viable offer for a bigger player in the trading market.

In early 2024, the Lakers discussed using Reeves as the core chip to package the trade of Dejunta Murray, Capela and Bogdan, but in the end it was stranded because the Hawks were unwilling to give up Capela. The Lakers may be able to get the third cornerstone player, but that will almost certainly come at the expense of Reeves, and all the other things the team can give up and huge luck. Fans, let's wait and see.