The youngest members of the Los Angeles Lakers have realized over the past few days that nothing is a guarantee in the NBA.
The suspense from the trade deadline and the change in reality has proven to be an eye-opening experience.
“This is the first situation that’s kind of been like a shock,” Reaves said about the Lakers’ trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic unexpectedly last weekend. “You create real relationships with these guys and that’s been the toughest part for me.”
Reaves, 26, shared a story about how emotional of a time it had been, using the personal connection he formed with Davis and his son as an example.
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He mentioned that Davis would FaceTime one of his kids after games, who’d ask for Reaves. The guard would then ask for his 3-point celebration, and Davis’ child would happily do it.
“Just little things like that are why it’s tough,” Reaves said. “It’s a business and you got to get past that and look forward to what we have now.”
The fourth-year guard mentioned that he’s leaned on LeBron James and other veteran teammates for advice on how to handle these situations.
‘I asked LeBron ‘You’ve been in the league a billion years and you’ve had a million teammates and you’ve seen people come and go. How do you deal with that?’ because the last couple of days have been tough for me,” Reaves said. “I feel like I have an empty pit in my stomach.’
No word on what advice James may have provided.
As a rookie, Dalton Knecht, 23, has also had to learn quickly that the NBA is a business.
Knecht was selected 17th overall by Los Angeles in the first round of the draft in June and was beginning to prove that he could become a promising role player for the franchise.
He averaged 9.4 points and 3.1 assists in all 48 of the Lakers’ games. Knecht will finish out his rookie season as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
Who did the Lakers trade Dalton Knecht for?
General manager Rob Pelinka acknowledged that the Lakers still need to find a center when speaking Tuesday during Doncic’s introductory news conference.
Pelinka also hinted that securing the franchise’s next big man could take more time to develop than the short window remaining before the trade deadline.
Pelinka and the Lakers made a trade Wednesday that sent Knecht, guard Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap and their 2031 first-round pick to the Hornets for center Mark Williams.
The age of the 23-year-old center aligns with Doncic, who is 25, and potentially forms a tandem the Lakers can invest in and build around as they plan for a future without James, who is 40.
The biggest concern with Williams is his injury history.
The third-year center played in 43 games as a rookie in 2022-23 but has only managed to play in 42 games over the past two seasons, including 23 of the Hornets’ 48 games this season.
Williams has had a series of lower leg injuries including his knee, foot and ankle.
Who is at the top of the Lakers’ rotation?
The Lakers may not be done making moves. Following their trade Wednesday night, the team has an open spot on its roster.
The Lakers can use that spot to explore the buyout market to add depth to any positions of need.
Here’s what the Lakers’ starting lineup is expected to look like to finish the season, plus some key reserves.
Lakers’ starting lineup
Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves
Rui Hachimura
LeBron James
Mark Williams
Lakers’ key reserves
Jaxson Hayes
Jarred Vanderbilt
Dorian Finney-Smith
Gabe Vincent