LeBron James' Friend Pushes Lakers to Trade Austin Reaves For 9-time NBA All-Star Despite 27 PPG Season

Austin Reaves is in the middle of a breakout season, showing that he can be one of the most dangerous offensive talents in the NBA. Right after he dropped 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the latest Battle of LA to help the Lakers secure the win, an unexpected trade idea surfaced online.

Anthony Abdul Alcindor, a close friend of LeBron James and a popular social media personality, suggested that the Lakers should consider moving Reaves if they want a chance at landing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Better known as @CuffsTheLegend, Alcindor explained himself after the Lakers’ 135-118 victory on Tuesday.

He claimed that with Reaves playing at an almost All-Star level, his value is high and the team could take advantage of that by making him the focal point of a trade package. In his view, dealing Reaves along with other assets could potentially lead to the Lakers’ superstar trio featuring Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Goes without saying, a squad with such firepower would instantly be regarded as title contenders.

“if the Lakers really really want Giannis to wear a Lakers uniform and win chips with Luka.. this is the perfect pathway,” @CuffsTheLegend wrote on X.

73-9 and THEY LIED

@CuffsTheLegend

if the Lakers really really want Giannis to wear a Lakers uniform and win chips with Luka.. this is the perfect pathway

If Rob Pelinka were to consider a move for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ asking price would be massive. Reaves would likely be just the starting point. The Lakers might have to include key rotation players like Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht, along with a plethora of draft assets, to pull off such a blockbuster deal.

The same social media user has praised Austin Reaves in the past. Yet he often argues that Reaves acting as a second or third scoring option won’t lead a team to championships.

73-9 and THEY LIED

@CuffsTheLegend

@Parlay_Tay I am a Austin Reaves fan… i was a fan before you even saw him play basketball for the Lakers lol YOU ARE NOT WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH AUSTIN REAVES AS YOUR TOP 2/3 guy. That’s all i am simply saying.

However, there is no denying how impressive Austin Reaves has been this season. He ranks 12th in the league with 27.9 points per game and 11th among all players with 7.0 assists per game. If he sustains this level of production, he could have a strong case for his first All-Star selection.

Austin Reaves gives honest assessment following Lakers topping NBA Cup group

The win at the Crypto.com Arena not only stretched their streak to five games, but it also improved them to a perfect 3-0 in the NBA Cup. That was enough to secure the top spot in the Western Conference Group B and clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Lakers struggled in the first quarter, trailing by a point. However, JJ Redick’s team regrouped and bounced back to finish with a 17-point victory. Following the game, Austin Reaves talked about this change in approach.

“We just played the right way. Took open shots, but just stuck to schemes and got the ball where we wanted to get it,” Reaves said (timestamp 0:10 onwards). “Especially with Bron and Luka, they demand such a double team a lot of the games and that means someone's going to be open and you can play four on three basketball.”

LA will still play one more group stage matchup on Friday when they host the Dallas Mavericks. However, the result will not affect their positioning in the NBA Cup.