The Los Angeles Lakers are in an excellent spot. They have a winning record despite LeBron James not playing. Luka Doncic looked like an MVP frontrunner before he went down with an injury, and Austin Reaves stepped up as the lone, healthy star.
Once the Lakers have Reaves, Doncic, and James all healthy, they could be the best team in the Western Conference. Of course, with two dominant ball handlers like James and Doncic on the floor, Reaves’ production will likely take a hit.
If James slots into a new role, the Lakers might be able to have success with their trio. If he’s unable or unwilling to do that, Los Angeles could have a tough choice on their hands.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 08: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers checks on teammate LeBron James #23 after James collided with Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics
during the second half at TD Garden on March 08, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Here we go. Fire up the trade machines, even though there are no credible reports that the Lakers want to shop a superstar. Reaves, an impending free agent, has increased his value significantly in recent games.
While other teams would line up to add him, the Lakers have no reason to shop him. Next summer, they should have ample cap space to re-sign him, even if
However, the Lakers have been urged to pick between Reaves and James, since two stars next to Doncic might be spreading themselves too thin.
“It sounds crazy saying you gotta trade Bron, but my thing is when you have a guy like LeBron James, you’re not getting this from AR,” said Theo Pinson on the To the Baha podcast. “This gets neutralized when Bron comes back in November. You’re not getting 28 and 17 from AR.”
Will the Lakers get 28 points and 17 assists from Reaves on a regular basis even if James were out of the picture? Based on his recent play, maybe. However, James’ trade value has never been lower. He is yet to prove himself this season and is owed $52.6 million this season.
With trading James unlikely, the Lakers really have only one other option.
In recent weeks, James has done little to raise his trade value. Reaves, on the other hand, is one of the hottest commodities in the
The Lakers need to work tirelessly to build the best roster possible around Doncic. Reaves has proved that he can excel both with and without Doncic, which is great news for the Lakers.
Reaves is only 27 years old. He’s just entering his prime. He’s not an elite “young” player by any means, although he certainly has interest from rebuilding teams, especially if he were to pledge to re-sign with them.
Reaves is a great running mate next to Doncic. However, if he had to be included in a deal for someone like Lauri Markkanen or Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Lakers shouldn’t think twice. Not only are they both better defenders, but they are the type of player Doncic would be even better next to.
Entering the season, Reaves was the Lakers’ best trade chip. As the year goes on, his value has only skyrocketed.
Of course, despite Pinson thinking otherwise, the most likely path is the Lakers keeping their core together this season.
The Golden State Warriors thought they were getting a gift on Thursday night, when Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out of their matchup about an hour before tip-off. Instead, the Warriors got something equally fearful: the revenge game of all revenge games from guard Ryan Rollins. His career night propelled the Bucks to a 120-110 win, and dropped the Warriors to 4-2 on the season … with their two losses coming in arguably their two easiest assignments.
Rollins made it clear from the jump that he came to play. With the brief Damian Lillard era ended, Rollins has turned into the team’s secondary scorer, so with Antetokounmpo sidelined, the young guard was driving the vehicle. He attacked the rim on the first possession of the game for a layup, then drained a triple on the second possession.
It was a quick statement from the player whom the Warriors drafted 44th overall in 2022, but traded after his rookie year to help get off of Jordan Poole’s contract. And it was a statement he would revisit and re-emphasize throughout the night.
Despite Rollins’ hot start, the Warriors were in good position early. The offense was flowing well in the opening minutes, with a good combination of ball movement and individuals beating their defender to create openings. But after a promising few minutes, the Warriors shots went cold. That was followed by a handful of miscommunications that served as painful reminders that it’s still very early in the season. And that was followed by an inability to get good shots off at all. Back-to-back threes by Myles Turner gave Milwaukee a 20-13 lead with about five minutes remaining, and made it clear that the Bucks were here to play.
Jonathan Kuminga, who had nine points on 4-for-4 shooting in the frame, brought the Warriors back into it, but the difference in shooting was too much for Golden State to overcome. The Bucks ended the quarter on a blitz to take a 34-25 lead, and had shot 5-for-9 from deep; the Dubs, meanwhile, were just 2-for-12.
The deficit quickly turned to double figures in the second quarter, but the Warriors were at least being more aggressive. A young lineup led by Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, and Will Richard brought the team endless amounts of energy, and the Warriors had a copious amount of runs in them. But every time they got close to tying or taking the lead, the Bucks would answer with a run of their own. Near the halfway mark of the quarter, Steph Curry drained a three, which was his first field goal of the game. That got some life in his game, as he and Kuminga kept pulling the Warriors close, only for the Bucks to answer.
They never did fully catch up in the frame, but it was anyone’s contest going into the break, with Milwaukee leading just 60-58.
The Warriors finally got over the hump early in the third quarter, as a layup by Curry with 8:38 remaining gave them the lead. But Rollins responded in full, returning the lead to the Bucks. The teams were trading baskets, leads, and momentum, as they took turns feeling in control. Golden State just couldn’t seem to ever really run away with the game, and that left the door open for Rollins and the Bucks.
Finally, Milwaukee seized the opportunity. With the Warriors going ice cold with both Curry and Kuminga on the bench, the Bucks rattled off a 12-0 run to take control of the game. Thankfully for the Dubs, they still employ Jimmy Butler III, who put the team on his back in the final minute of the quarter, scoring five points on a brilliant two-for-one, and leaving the Warriors trailing just 87-84 entering the fourth.
Steve Kerr showed urgency by having Curry start the fourth quarter, which is a break from his normal substitution pattern, though he would get a rest a few minutes later. The game had ground to a halt and turned into a grind-it-out affair, and that favored Milwaukee on this night. Golden State simply couldn’t make a shot, and when they were able to get a stop, they had a hard time grabbing rebounds.
It felt — and this is not to make excuses — like nothing was bouncing the Warriors way. The Bucks’ misses often ricocheted right to them, the refs seemed to miss a few calls — nothing egregious, just frustrating — and every loose ball appeared to carom in the wrong direction. That’s just the way it goes sometime.
And along the way, Rollins scored and scored and scored some more, taking total control of the game, while the Warriors, increasingly frantic, couldn’t stop turning the ball over. Finally, with 2:07 remaining, Rollins nailed what felt like a dagger: a three-pointer to make it an 11-point game.
The Dubs had some fight though. Kuminga scored quickly on one end, then they forced a steal that led to a Butler layup in transition, which was followed by forcing a shot clock violation. They had created a sliver of an opening, but even though Kuminga got to the rim on the next possession, he couldn’t finish and didn’t get the foul call. Golden State had one last chance after forcing an eight-second violation on the ensuing possession, but Curry missed a three a few seconds later, and that sealed their fate.
Rollins, who scored 25 points against the New York Knicks two nights ago, finished with a career-high 32 points on 13-for-21 shooting, including 5-for-7 from deep, while also having eight assists against just one turnover. It was a brilliant and mesmerizing performance for a player who looks primed for a breakout year. But, despite his star showing, it was a total team performance for the Bucks, as all five starters — plus three reserves — scored in double figures.
It was quite a different scene for the Dubs, who didn’t get a double-digit output from anyone other than Curry, Butler, and Kuminga. Curry led the team with 27 points, Butler notched a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Kuminga was their most impressive offensive force, with 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, plus eight rebounds and four assists. Curry and Kuminga both had five turnovers though, as the Warriors had a far-too-high 19 on the night.
The Warriors now get a day off before concluding their two-game road trip on Saturday, with a 4:00 p.m. PT contest against the Indiana Pacers.
