The San Antonio Spurs will reportedly pursue Austin Reaves when the Los Angeles Lakers guard becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026. In such a scenario, the Lakers would lose their star guard for nothing.
To avoid such a fate, the Lakers may be best served to trade Reaves beforehand. Fadeaway World floated a trade idea that would see the Lakers acquire two first-round picks in addition to two young players on expiring contracts.
Lakers would receive: Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie, 2027 first-round pick (ATL), 2029 first-round pick
Spurs would receive: Austin Reaves
Since Sochan and Champagnie are both on expiring contracts, the Lakers would essentially be trading Reaves for two first-round picks, while maintaining cap flexibility for 2026 and 2027, when several superstars could hit the open market.
How the Trade Helps Both Teams
That said, both players could prove to be useful contributors in JJ Redick’s system. Sochan, a fearless rebounder and defender, could provide firepower off the bench or even start at power forward next to DeAndre Ayton. Champagnie, meanwhile, is a steady shooter who’s made 1.8 threes per game in his three-year NBA career. The latter, a 6-foot-8 forward, also has good positional size to fit into different roles for the Lakers.
“Sochan has established himself as a capable perimeter defender with rebounding upside and athleticism. When also considering his improving three-point shooting skills, the forward could develop into a solid rotation piece to increase the bench contribution.”
“Meanwhile, Champagnie has shown potential as a two-way player. While primarily acting as a scoring contributor off the bench, the 24-year-old has also shown flashes of being a capable help and weak-side defender.”
Lakers Can Open $60M Cap Space
As for the Spurs, they get an excellent scorer and playmaker in Reaves, who has the versatility to play next to their guard-heavy lineup of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper.
“At 27, Reaves is also young enough to align with the Spurs’ timeline to emerge as contenders.”
“With the development of their young stars being a key storyline, a player like Reaves could play a key role as a starter early on, gradually transitioning into a role with the second unit, still being a productive and vital part of the rotation.”
If the Lakers do lose Reaves in free agency — or trade him beforehand — they could open in excess of $60M in cap space in 2026. With LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber also coming off the books, the Lakers roster could look drastically different in the 2026-27 season, with only Luka Doncic a lock to stay.
“With this trade, the Lakers would clear $3.9 million (after deducting Reaves’ $13.9 million outgoing salary) in cap space for the season, allowing them to pursue more free agent signings, while also gaining two first-rounders that could act as assets in future trades.”
Reaves has previously indicated his desire to remain in Los Angeles for life, but also admitted that the NBA is a business, and he may not be in control of his future.
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