The Lakers don’t have many avenues to upgrade their roster around Luka Doncic and LeBron James, given their limited draft assets and lack of young stars. However, the one Laker who has a lot of trade value around the league is Austin Reaves, who enjoyed his career-best season in 2024-25, emerging as a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player and an All-Star team.
The one area where the Lakers need to improve is their interior defense, prompting many analysts to urge them to target Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo, a former five-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and elite rim protector. Fadeaway World floated a Lakers trade pitch that would see them part with Reaves to land Adebayo.
Lakers would receive: Adebayo
Heat would receive: Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, 2031 first-round pick
Hawks would receive: Maxi Kleber
How Lakers Trade Helps All Teams
The proposed trade would see the Heat shore up their backcourt depth while also reuniting with Gabe Vincent, who played a key role in their run to the 2023 NBA Finals.
The Hawks would absorb Kleber’s $11 million expiring contract, giving them another stretch big man to back up starting center Onyeka Okongwu.
As for the Lakers, the team can effectively form a new Big 4 of Doncic, James, Adebayo, and Deandre Ayton, with the latter two anchoring the frontcourt defense.
“The frontcourt pairing of James, Adebayo, and Ayton has a lot of merit. Despite being slightly undersized for a traditional center, Adebayo remains a dominant defensive presence.
“Owing to his length, athletic ability, and strength, the 3x All-Star is capable of anchoring the team’s defense while also being a key player on the offensive end.”
Doncic-Adebayo Spark Rumors
The hypothetical Lakers trade would also help the Heat fill the void left by Duncan Robinson, who departed for the Detroit Pistons as a free agent.
“Reaves’ arrival could complicate Miami’s plans for Tyler Herro, given their similar roles and skill sets. But with the two guards running the Heat backcourt, Miami could be a troublesome team for opposing defenses.
“In addition to Reaves, the Heat would also acquire Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht. While Vincent primarily adds defensive support and experience to the backcourt rotation, Knecht brings a lot of value as a scorer.”
On July 13, Doncic and Adebayo sent the basketball world into a frenzy when they were spotted together in Greece at a party organized by Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. The two All-Stars appeared extremely chummy, fueling rumors that they might link up in a Lakers uniform.
Be it the Lakers or any other team, it’s most feasible to trade for Adebayo before his new 3-year, $166 million extension kicks in the 2026-27 season. Adebayo will earn $37 million in 2025-26, making him more attractive to acquire, especially for a contending team. However, his salary will jump to nearly $50 million in 2026-27, and skyrocket to over $57 million by the 2028-29 season.
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