Austin Reaves will not be included in any Zach LaVine deal with Bulls

Since returning from his back injury, Austin Reaves has helped the Los Angeles Lakers stabilize in recent weeks, most recently hitting a game-winner against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.

The Lakers looked like a solid team most nights, although the feeling across the league is that they’re still a few pieces away from being a true contender. Reaves appears to be a core member of the roster considering how much responsibility he has on offense, but that still hasn’t kept his name out of move rumors.

So far, Los Angeles has insisted on keeping Reaves because he has a team-friendly deal and is arguably the Lakers’ third-best player behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, because of this, teams will continue to ask for Reaves in any deal.

For example, the Chicago Bulls are up for sale and while they have some players that would be of interest to Los Angeles, most notably Zach LaVine, Reaves will not be included in any package, such as: Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun-Times:

“There have been rumors about the Lakers for over a year, but a source said the pieces that needed to be replaced don’t fit, and Los Angeles remains steadfast that Austin Reaves won’t be there.”

Due to the need to match salaries in a deal, the Lakers would have to send out a contract like Reaves to acquire players like LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and even Lonzo Ball. Alternatively, Los Angeles could use D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura to make any deals legal, but it’s doubtful Chicago would be interested.

No player should be considered untouchable, but the Lakers are smart not to trade Reaves for another role player. Reaves is good enough to bring back several good players in a potential move, even if teams are still priced high this time of year.

For now, it might be best to make any sort of trade with the Bulls until they lower their prices on their veterans. In the meantime, the Lakers will continue to scour the trade market for upgrades and have been heavily linked to big men like Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III and Jonas Valanciunas.

Austin Reaves admits he didn’t do well with the Pistons’ aggressive defense

While Austin Reaves is getting more opportunities to initiate the offense, he has had trouble withstanding the Detroit Pistons’ ball pressure. After the Lakers’ loss, Reaves admitted he didn’t handle the Pistons’ aggressiveness well.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? This is the best way to watch player interviews, get exclusive event coverage, attend live shows, and more!