There are a ton of things that get discussed and considered for every team during the offseason.
Teams have to consider best- and worst-case scenarios and have a multitude of pathways towards a successful offseason. It’s why Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is constantly talking about optionality during press conferences, even if fans roll their eyes when he does.
A report by Michael Scotto on HoopsHype on Sunday might have revealed one of LA’s contingency plans in case Austin Reaves left in free agency.
Before Herro joined Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo trade and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a four-year, $185 million max deal with Austin Reaves, the Lakers had trade discussions surrounding Herro and Kel’el Ware, which would’ve involved multiple first-round draft picks, league sources told HoopsHype.
With Tyler Herro heading to the Bucks and Reaves set to sign a max contract, this obviously never happened, and LA will keep their starting backcourt together.
Clearly, the best-case scenario was keeping Reaves, and the Lakers pulled it off. Still, it’s good to know they had backup plans just in case.
In another timeline, Herro is paired with Luka Dončić, and the Lakers are hoping that’s enough to win them some games. While it’s unknown if Herro will remain with the Bucks or if this is just a quick stop before another move, it’s unlikely he’ll be a player of interest for the purple and gold.
Kel’el Ware, on the other hand, has remained in Lakers rumors. The team is reportedly still interested, but the Bucks aren’t expected to trade him. From the Lakers’ perspective, acquiring Ware would make sense. He’s a young player with room to grow. He averaged 11.1 points while knocking down 39.5% of his threes this past season.
His scoring ability and 3-point shooting would serve the Lakers well, especially if Luke Kennard leaves in free agency.
Still, it takes two to make a deal, and unless the Bucks change their minds, it won’t happen.
It’s fun to hear about the what-ifs in the basketball world, and even better when they aren’t as good as what actually happened.
While Herro would’ve been fun, the Lakers are better off with Reaves, and they were able to step into their ideal situation with him as their franchise star.
Still, staying ready is the name of the game, and the Lakers need all types of backup plans this summer with the fate of so many of their players being up in the air.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
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