The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to keep dealing after swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.
On Saturday, the NBA world was shaken to its core when the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers swapped Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.
The deal, for the Mavericks, was quickly labeled one of the worst deals of all time, and the dust is yet to settle from the shocking trade that, remarkably, wasn’t rumored or reported on until details were finalized.
While the Lakers seem to be the clear-cut winners, they do have a glaring hole at the center position now, and they are expected to remain active ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Since emerging as a viable NBA role player in 2021 and continuing to improve since his rookie season, the Lakers have made it very clear that Austin Reaves was not readily available. With Davis and LeBron James, Reaves was tasked with running the offense and being the third scorer.
Now, with Doncic on the roster, Reaves’ skillset is a bit redundant, and he could be included in a deal. The Lakers have long been rumored to be interested in Walker Kessler, and the Utah Jazz may be interested in playing ball if Reaves is included in a deal.
“With this roster, if the Lakers don’t make a move and keep this roster, their ceiling is a second-round exit,” explained Kendrick Perkins on the Road Trippin’ Podcast. “
Now, if the Lakers go out and get the young fella from Utah, Walker Kessler, OK now they’re moving the needle. It may happen now. Two weeks ago Austin Reaves was untouchable.”
Danny Ainge is one of the shrewdest executives in the NBA, and it has long been reported that he has no desire to help the Lakers, for one clear reason.
“Utah holds the Lakers’ ’27 first, top-four protected pick,” explained ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin in December. “Danny Ainge has expressed concern that Kessler would stop the Lakers from fully bottoming out as Davis ages and after LeBron James retires.”
With Doncic now in the Purple and Gold, the Lakers won’t “bottom out” by 2027, and if the Jazz can add a solid offensive guard in a deal for Kessler, who seems to be expendable with Kyle Filipowski playing well and Taylor Hendricks looking the part of a starting center when healthy, they should.
“I guarantee, now you could put your hands on him right now, package up Austin,” Perkins continued.
For Reaves and a 2025 second-round pick, it would be hard for the Jazz to say no.
