Lakers should unite Luka Doncic with $197 million Grizzlies star via major Austin Reaves swap
Context:
The Los Angeles Lakers are considering significant changes following their early exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs, where their trio of Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves failed to meet expectations. The team's management is exploring the possibility of trading Reaves, along with other players, to acquire a more versatile scoring threat like Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. Bane, who has shown substantial improvement in both scoring and passing, could provide the Lakers with a reliable option to complement Dončić and James. This strategic move aims to strengthen the Lakers' position as serious contenders in the competitive Western Conference for the upcoming season. By integrating Bane's skills, the Lakers hope to enhance their offensive dynamics and maintain possession efficiency, potentially leading to a more successful playoff run.
Dive Deeper:
The Lakers' early playoff exit has prompted the team to reevaluate their roster, particularly the effectiveness of their current star trio, suggesting that changes are necessary to improve their championship prospects.
Austin Reaves, despite his talent, is seen as expendable due to the presence of elite facilitators like Dončić and James, leading the Lakers to consider trading him for a more established scorer.
Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies has emerged as a potential target due to his impressive scoring ability, defensive skills, and recent improvements as a passer, making him a suitable fit for the Lakers' needs.
Bane's recent season statistics highlight his contribution of 19.2 points per game, a significant shooting percentage, and notable defensive metrics, indicating his potential value to the Lakers.
Swapping Reaves for Bane would allow the Lakers to integrate a consistent deep-range shooter who can also drive to the basket, enhancing their offensive strategy and complementing the play style of Dončić and James.
Bane's development as a passer, with his assists increasing significantly since his rookie season, further adds to his appeal as a trade target, offering the Lakers a multifaceted player.
The potential acquisition of Bane is seen as a strategic move to bolster the Lakers' chances in the highly competitive Western Conference, positioning them as potential title contenders for the 2025-26 season.
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves booted the Los Angeles Lakers from the 2025 NBA Playoffs in a dominant five-game first-round series win.
The star trio of Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves failed to lead Los Angeles to the promised land, or anywhere close to. As a result, the franchise has been forced to assess all of their options with regard to trades and potential free agency acquisitions that could catapult the group back to contention.
In fact, it's plausible to believe that even the latter of the three talented play-makers could be used as bait to land a more established presence to pair with Dončić and James. Since Reaves' skills aren't of much importance when paired alongside two of the greatest facilitators the game has ever seen, Los Angeles' general manager Rob Pelinka may prefer to go after an all-around scoring threat who has improved incrementally as a passer through each season of his young career.
If Reaves is thrown onto the Lakers' summer trade block, there could be a chance that Pelinka contacts the Memphis Grizzlies in an effort to exchange the 26-year-old homegrown star, Rui Hachimura and Shake Milton for their efficient scorer and potential future All-Star Desmond Bane.
Memphis' two-way guard just wrapped up his fifth NBA season since being selected with the No. overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. In 69 appearances this regular season, Bane contributed 19.2 points and 6.1 rebounds on an impressive 60.0% true shooting percentage while also displaying plenty of improvement on the defensive end.
The 6-foot-5 guard and 39.2% three-point sniper registered a career-best 1.2 steals in 2024-25, compiled a 0.6 defensive box plus-minus and finished with a solid 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions.
In this hypothetical scenario, swapping out the play-making of Reaves for the consistent deep-range threat could make plenty of sense. Instead of trotting out another floor general that takes pick-and-roll possessions out of Dončić and James' hands, you replace that with a reactionary scorer that can knock down catch-and-shoot threes or throw a pump fake and drive hard towards the basket.
Bane has even progressed beautifully as a passer in his own right, as he's been able to bump his figure of 1.7 assists as a rookie to 5.3 this past season.
If given the chance, Bane's hypothetical arrival in Los Angeles could elevate the team to status as real title contenders in a loaded Western Conference for the 2025-26 season, as Dončić and James would be provided with a reliable tertiary option that can dominate both with and without the ball.
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