Jovan Buha Urges Lakers to Consider Reaves for Mitchell — Lakers Austin Reaves Trade Rumors
lakers austin reaves trade rumors sharpened Sunday when Jovan Buha said the Lakers would make a mistake by moving on from Austin Reaves without replacing the ball-handling void with a real, high-level handler. The suggestion points straight at Donovan Mitchell, a seven-time All-Star guard whose offensive load and shot creation would change the Lakers’ summer plans.
Buha on Reaves and Mitchell
Buha did not frame Reaves as a player to keep at all costs. He said, “I think it would be a big mistake to just move on from Austin and not replace the ball-handling void with a real, high-level handler.”
He added, “If you do replace him, you need to be finding another high-level ball handler and playmaker because it cannot just be and a bunch of role players. I don’t think that is at a high enough level (for the Lakers to win).” That pushes the discussion beyond one roster decision and into the shape of the entire backcourt.
Donovan Mitchell’s fit
Mitchell sits at the center of the idea because Buha said he would bring a higher offensive level than Reaves. He also said Mitchell is a better player and that the difference would offset some defensive concerns, even with Reaves described as a cone defensively.
The Cavaliers guard has been averaging 23.3 points per game, and he was shooting 29.6 percent from three in Cleveland’s second-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons. At 6-foot-2 and with 6.7 rebounds in that series, he offers the kind of on-ball production the Lakers would be trying to replace if they moved Reaves in a summer deal.
Lakers after the 3-0 hole
The backdrop matters because the Lakers were already down 3-0 in their second-round playoff series after a 131-108 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Luka Doncic was inactive for Game 4, and that left the roster’s shot creation and handling issues more exposed.
Buha’s point was not just that the Lakers should chase a name. It was that any move off Reaves has to bring back a real playmaker, or the team risks swapping one useful guard for a weaker version of the same problem. The Reaves-Mitchell trade idea would make sense financially and on-court, but only if Los Angeles is serious about raising the level of its offense rather than filling minutes with role players.
