The Lakers’ decision to keep Austin Reaves off-limits in a potential trade for De’Aaron Fox seems justified, even though Fox is clearly the superior player. There’s no real statistical debate—Fox has physical attributes that Reaves simply lacks, and his elite speed gives him an edge that Reaves can’t match. If you were starting a team from scratch with no restrictions, Fox would be the obvious pick. However, NBA roster building isn’t that simple, and this is where the Lakers’ stance comes into play. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Klutch Sports, representing Fox, knows the Lakers have “zero intention” of including Reaves in any trade, which might be surprising to most teams but makes sense given the Lakers’ priorities.
Reaves is on a manageable salary, just under $13 million this season, with only a slight increase next year, while Fox’s salary is nearly $35 million. For a trade to happen, the Lakers would need to come up with around $22 million in matching salary, which is tricky. Players like Jarred Vanderbilt, with an injury history, and Dorian Finney-Smith, who can’t be traded in combination with others due to CBA rules, aren’t ideal options. The best path might involve Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, but the Kings could push for young guard Max Christie, a crucial defender for the Lakers. In any case, the trade would require the Lakers to sacrifice valuable depth, which they can’t afford, given their current roster needs.
Additionally, the Lakers only have two tradable first-round picks, in 2029 and 2031. Typically, acquiring a player like Fox would require at least one first-round pick, if not both. If the Lakers were to go through with a trade, they’d end up with a core of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Fox—but not much else, echoing the 2021-22 Lakers who added Russell Westbrook. Although Fox is a better shooter than Westbrook, his shooting ability is still not enough to fix the Lakers’ 3-point shooting struggles, ranking near the bottom in attempts and percentage. Reaves, on the other hand, has been a reliable shooter and has grown into a solid 3-point threat, which the Lakers would miss if they lost him.
While Fox could help with creating offense, the Lakers already perform well offensively without LeBron, with lineups featuring Reaves without him scoring efficiently. Adding Fox might improve ball handling, but the Lakers already have strong offensive options with Davis also scoring more efficiently and playmaking at a high level this season. This makes the need for a high-level creator less pressing.
In the long term, once LeBron retires, the Lakers may need a future playmaker, but right now, trading for Fox would sacrifice too many assets. The Lakers would lose depth and critical assets like first-round picks, leaving them with fewer options to build a competitive roster around Fox and Davis. Instead of making this trade, the Lakers should consider using their resources to strengthen their current roster and position themselves better for a future title run. If they don’t believe they can contend for the 2025 championship, holding onto their assets might be a better strategy for future opportunities.
