The Los Angeles Lakers have made one major move so far this offseason, and that has been agreeing to terms on a new contract with Austin Reaves worth $185 million over four years. However, prior to that announced agreement, rumors began circulating that other teams were preparing max offers for the 28-year-old guard, which meant he could possibly sign elsewhere.
With that bein the case, it appears the Lakers were looking at some contingency plans. The Miami Heat made the biggest move of the offseason by any team thus far, acquiring superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and a slew of draft picks. But it seems that had that move not gone through, it’s possible Herro and Ware would be on their way to L.A., according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
Before Herro joined Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo trade and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a four-year, $185 million max deal with Austin Reaves, the Lakers had trade discussions surrounding Herro and Kel’el Ware, which would’ve involved multiple first-round draft picks, league sources told HoopsHype.
It’s no explicitly stated in this reporting if the Lakers would have signed and traded Reaves to Miami, but it seems to be the most likely scenario for a Heat team that was clearly going star hunting in the offseason. Reaves is an upgrade over Herro, while the picks L.A. might have sent could have been for Ware.
Letting go of Reaves for Herro and Ware would have been a massive risk, but one with decent upside. Herro is on a $33 million expiring contract, while Ware is a fascinating option as a long-term center next to Luka Doncic. There’s an argument to make that the flexibility of not having a player on a max deal while adding a center might’ve worked out well in the long term.
Both sides can argue that it’s for the best that this trade did not materialize, though. The Heat got their big fish in Antetokounmpo, while the Lakers got to keep Reaves — again, an arguably better player than Herro — while retaining all of their available trade assets for a future deal.
Lakers have interest in Dean Wade and Jock Landale
The Lakers — in addition to big swings — will have to make some impactful additions on the margins. Two reported options for doing that are big men Dean Wade and Jock Landale. Both are expected to be relatively sought after, but the Lakers have the ability to win a bidding war against mostly anyone in the league.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
