It’s overwhelmingly clear the Lakers’ best path toward improvement will include trades. However, those moves could reportedly come at a steep cost, with the front office at odds over two key contributors.
Lakers Trade Rumors: Team Debating Whether to Move Core Players
Report: “Fierce Internal Debate” Over Reaves and Hachimura
According to ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin, Lakers staffers are in a “fierce debate” about the futures of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
“To be clear, both are extremely well-liked internally. No Lakers decision maker is looking ahead to the day when they can finally rid themselves of two of the better moves any team has made on the margins in recent years. Still, this roster desperately needs a facelift and, because the Lakers only have one first-round pick and a few mid-tier expiring contracts to work with, the sense around the league is, in order to take the steps forward the Lakers are hoping to, they’ll have to part with actual contributors on top of the little draft capital at their disposal.”
Irwin added the Lakers would only move Reaves for an All-Star caliber player who is a long-term fit next to Luka Doncic. The 27-year-old undrafted guard had the best season of his career (20.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG) before an underwhelming playoff run put him into trade rumors. New reporting over his future free agency plans has only accelerated those conversations, leading to such debate over a player who, at one point, was considered untouchable in the eyes of many.
Apr 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) and forward Rui Hachimura (28) defend in the third quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
As for Hachimura, the Lakers are “more open” to trading him. However, they also recognize his value as an athletic wing who showed up in their short-lived playoff run. In LA’s five-game series against the Timberwolves, Hachimura averaged 14.8 points (tying his career-high with Washington in 2021), 4.6 rebounds and one assist per game on .491/.484/1.000 splits.
Time to Break Up the Lakers Core?
Five years removed from their last NBA championship and a few seasons since Reaves and Hachimura first donned the purple and gold, the Lakers are at a crossroads this summer. They have a prime opportunity to improve the roster around Doncic and LeBron James, but now, they must answer tough questions to maximize their window with this star-studded duo.
Austin Reaves
For starters, it’s imperative the team keeps Reaves, who complements James and Doncic despite his playoff struggles. Although there are valid concerns of losing him for nothing next summer, it’s unclear what kind of return the Lakers would get (or if it would justify trading him in the first place).
President/GM Rob Pelinka previously said that Reaves, Doncic and James are on solid ground within the organization, adding the front office “will collectively do a better job to make sure they’re surrounded by the right pieces to have ultimate success.” It would be unfortunate for Pelinka to go back on his word weeks later, breaking the trio up instead of giving them a full offseason (and ideally, next year) to reach their full potential.
Rui Hachimura
With Hachimura, there are reasonable arguments for keeping him as well. He became a reliable starter under Redick this year, scored at an efficient clip, played great in the postseason, and became a fan favorite through it all. However, there’s no denying his $18 million expiring salary is a valuable trade chip toward a legitimate upgrade at center.
Rui Hachimura 24-25 season
59 Games
13.1 PPG
5 RPG
50 FG%
41 3PT%
61.9 TS%
Before the injury (Post Luka/AD trade):
17.9 PPG 5.5 RPG 42 3PT% 66 TS%
🔥#lakeshow pic.twitter.com/Dl1MEbovY5
— † (@HoodiHachimura) April 12, 2025
The case for Rui could go either way, but unless the Lakers can only land an elite big man by trading him, Hachimura deserves to stay. The Lakers have two more expiring contracts (Gabe Vincent’s $11.5 million contract and Maxi Kleber’s $11 million) and appealing assets (Dalton Knecht, numerous first- and second-round picks) to offer potential suitors. While some may see trading Hachimura as the best path toward addressing the center position, it certainly isn’t the only way.
The Last Word
Unless it’s through deals that Pelinka and Co. cannot refuse, Reaves and Hachimura deserve to stick around beyond this offseason. There are other avenues toward improvement that don’t involve gutting a promising core with the potential to lead the Lakers back to the promised land.