The NBA trade deadline is coming, and the Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to figure out how to reinforce their defensive presence. Throughout the first few months of the season, one thing has become apparent: the Lakers lack defense.
Having that in mind, LA is now aiming to solve that issue before the trade deadline in hopes of acquiring a defensive anchor.
Rich Paul Believes Austin Reaves is as Valuable as $205,000,000 Star
NBA agent Rich Paul believes that the Lakers could acquire a $205,000,000 star to fix their problem; however, it might come at the expense of Austin Reaves.
Since the start of the 2025-26 season, Reaves has proven that he’s capable of being a franchise player. It started when LeBron James was forced to sit out the first 14 games of the season. Reaves stepped up to the occasion and efficiently supported Luka Dončić as the second option.
Then, in games when Dončić was absent, Reaves further elevated his game and led the Lakers to several victories as the main star of the show. Having said that, there’s no denying that AR is a force to be reckoned with in the league today.
Given Reaves’s impressive showing, Paul believes that the talented guard should cut ties with the Lakers and become the star that he deserves to be. Either way, the Lakers would win the trade if they could acquire $205,000,000 Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. in the deal.
Since the departure of Anthony Davis last season, LA has struggled on the defensive end of the court. While getting rid of Reaves may sacrifice some of their offensive prowess, the acquisition of Jackson would enhance their presence in the paint.
Jackson is averaging 1.5 blocks per game, which is something the Lakers are desperately in need of. With that said, Paul believes that trading Reaves for Jackson is a logical deal.
“If I were the Lakers, I would be targeting the Memphis Grizzlies as a trade partner for Jaren Jackson,” Paul said. “If you’re building around Luka, you need that anchor. Jaren doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild… if you’re able to trade out expirings and trade the last 1st you got, or you can withhold and give up less, but this comes with a more unemotional attachment because Austin is beloved.”
“There’s a world where you can do what’s best for your team, and what’s best for Austin,” Paul continued. “Austin deserves to get paid… Memphis would definitely pay Austin. He would become their leading scorer and (point guard).”
Rich Paul says if he ran the Lakers, he would call Memphis Grizzlies to trade for Jaren Jackson Jr for a package with Austin Reaves 😳
“If I was the Lakers I would be targeting the Memphis Grizzlies as a trade partner for Jaren Jackson… If you’re building around Luka you need… pic.twitter.com/vEj647cWfT
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 12, 2026
In addition to Paul’s assessment of the fit, it also bears mentioning that with a trade of Ja Morant appearing increasingly likely, adding Reaves would seemingly be the ideal way to fill the offensive void that a move of the former would create.
As of this writing, there have been no official talks between the Lakers and Grizzlies. It’s also worth mentioning that LA’s front office has expressed no desire to trade Reaves in the near future.
How about trading Lebron for JJJ. I think that is a trade Laker fans would endorse.