The Los Angeles Lakers will only give up Austin Reaves if they can get an elite, starting-caliber center in return.

Fresh off a loss in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are weighing all their options for the upcoming offseason, including on the trade market.

While the Lakers would prefer not to break up their star-studded trio, they might consider something major if there’s an opportunity to add a well-established center.

“Lakers’ scouts and executives here in Chicago have openly spoken about the team’s needs at the center position — an obvious priority for Pelinka and Redick,” wrote Dan Woike of the LA Times.

“The team has shown no interest in using Reaves in a trade that nets them anything less than a top-tier big, and there aren’t any of those available, with the two most common names linked to them in the earliest stages of the offseason — Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and Dallas’ Daniel Gafford.”

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Austin Reaves, 26, has been a core member of the Lakers for years now, and he’s coming off his best season yet with averages of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 46.0% shooting.

As a great shooter, consistent scorer, and someone who always gives maximum effort, Reaves has become a favorite in JJ Redick’s rotation, and the Lakers have declared him untouchable in any trade talks.

Unfortunately, Reaves is one of the few tradeable assets the Lakers have left, and if they want to make any real roster changes, the chances are they’ll have to give up AR. The only question is, what kind of player would it take to pry him away from the Purple and Gold?

Since giving up Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers’ biggest area of need has been the frontcourt, where Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber have tried in vain to run the show.

Those players were nearly unplayable in the playoffs, and it limited how much resistance the Lakers gave at the rim.

Before the deadline, Rob Pelinka had a deal in place for Mark Williams, but he decided to pull the plug at the last minute and fail his physical.

In the Lakers’ judgment, it was like the deal never happened, and each player returned to their teams. It was just as Rob Pelinka wished for the Lakers, but it also left them without a proper big man for the rest of the season.

Going into the 2025-26 campaign, the Lakers will need some help at the center position if they want any hope of making a title run. While the cost will be great, the Lakers can’t ignore the opportunity to address one of their biggest areas of need.

In Brooklyn, Nic Claxton is one name that has surfaced in trade talks, but it remains to be seen if Austin Reaves would be enough to satisfy the Nets’ demands.

Daniel Gafford is another popular trade target, and his previous playing experience with Luka Doncic would surely help ease a transition to the Lakers.

His defensive energy and versatility would make him an ideal fit in the frontcourt, but it seems that many teams will be after his services this summer.

Beyond that, the Lakers could make a move for centers like Brook Lopez, Mitchell Robinson, or even Jonas Valanciunas if they are willing to pay the price.

Regardless of how the summer plays out, the Lakers will not give up Reaves easily as they see him (and his teammate Luka Doncic) as the future of the franchise.