Lakers are betting on Austin Reaves after trading D’Angelo Russell

After nearly two years of dust settling on Rob Pelinka’s phone, the Lakers have finally made a trade. On Sunday, the team dealt D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three more second-round picks Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorrian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

While the parameters of the deal and the players involved weren’t entirely surprising, the move represents a notable identity shift for Los Angeles.

For all his postseason indiscretions and shortcomings, Russell had been a useful — and underrated — ball-handling/playmaking release valve during his second stint with the team.

Finney-Smith, on the other hand, could not be more different. If you look up the definition of 3-and-D in the basketball dictionary, Finney-Smith’s face would be etched into the modern Mount Rushmore of blue-collar floor spacers. He gets his hands dirty, is reliable and offers a base level of grit from the team in recent years.

However, he doesn’t replace any of the guard skills or offensive juice that Russell brings out the door.

Barring another move — which reportedly isn’t coming anytime soon — the Lakers will have to look internally for someone to fill Russell’s void. The most likely and capable option is Austin Reaves, a role he and the team may have been preparing for well before this trade.

Before the season, JJ Redick mentioned one of his points of emphasis was to add to Reaves’ “circle” and to make his bag a “little bit bigger.”

To achieve this, Russell had to take a back seat. His usage rate dropped, he was dropped from the action, and eventually he settled into a sixth-man role. Whether this was by design or not, this established Reaves as the team’s secondary creator this season and, on some nights, even as the primary one.

“He’s been on the ball for us since the ninth game of the season,” Redick said after Monday’s practice. “So it’s something we’ve seen a lot of, and we feel very comfortable with it.”

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Photos

While an eventual Russell trade was likely always bound to happen, Reaves has not only survived, but thrived during his baptism by fire, likely cementing his and Russell’s fate.

In the last seven games as the Lakers’ primary backcourt shooter, Reaves is averaging 20.3 points and 7.4 assists on 59.5% true shooting.

This span has also featured highlights such as a triple-double and game-winning move Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day and arguably peaked in the team’s most recent 132-122 win over the Sacramento Kings, where Reaves dropped 26 points and a career-high 16 assists with LeBron James sidelined.

“I don’t think tonight is an aberration of what he can do when we’re fully healthy,” Redick said of Reaves after the win. “I don’t see it that way. I think he’s obviously going to take the second or third most snaps most nights. I think he’s obviously going to have the ball. He’s the primary handler.”

If it wasn’t already clear, the trade has crystallized how the coaching staff and front office view Reaves’ prospects as an on-ball weapon. And so far, Reaves is rewarding that trust.

The raw numbers have been impressive since the switch, but what’s arguably more encouraging is that he’s accompanying increased offensive responsibility with a more nuanced on-ball technique.

Before Russell’s move to the bench, Reaves had a usage rate of 22.3% and an assist rate of 21.2%. Since then, his usage is up 3.3% and his assist numbers are up a staggering 8.6%

In addition to soaking up more on-ball reps, Reaves is also simply getting the ball more. He averages 12 more touches per game. match over the same period and has seen jumps in his average time and dribbles per possession, according to league tracking data.

Despite the significant increases across the board, Reaves hasn’t seen much of a drop in his efficiency numbers and has more than looked the team’s point guard.

Reaves showed he could manipulate the defense as the main engine against Sacramento. Rejecting screens, changing speeds and being aggressive when the time called for it, he created cracks in the Kings’ armor through his swing of the sword.

He was also brilliant from a playmaking perspective. He ran skip passes around the field, ran pick-and-rolls like a 10-year-old vet and recognized different defensive coverages before they even lined up.

For one night, Reaves showed everything that remains a mystery and why the growing pains along the way might be worth it. The latter in particular should be an expected part of this process.

Despite his strong play, ultimately there is still a lot of risk in relying on Reaves to be the team’s only perimeter creator outside of James. Gabe Vincent is still on the roster, but is more of a serviceable foot soldier than a floor general. This is where Russell’s value and presence will likely be missed the most.

Without that safety blanket, the Lakers may not be able to afford a sloppy outing from Reaves like they have in the past.

He remains vulnerable to shifty, physical defenders who can exploit his sometimes loose dribbling. He also has a knack for faulty decision-making, both as a scorer and passer. This was exemplified in his six-turnover performance against the Detroit Pistons.

Reaves has also struggled with fatigue in the past, particularly in his legs, where he has been prone to going through dry spells with his shooting.

This is likely why in every season since Russell’s arrival, Reaves has posted a better true shooting percentage next to the guard than of. How he handles the added workload for the rest of the year and into the playoffs could prove crucial to the team’s odds.

Given the new look and the uncertainty of the front office switching to another notable on-ball guard, the Lakers have essentially pushed their chips in that Reaves’ recent play isn’t a mirage. And even that he took another leap.

The flashes have been there to justify the trust. But so do warts, which should raise at least some skepticism if Reaves’ optimized role is as a lead guard — especially on a team with title aspirations.

But by making this trade as early as they have, the Lakers have at least given themselves some time to evaluate how Reaves and the rest of the roster will fare between now and the trade deadline before piling on again.

But at some point, Reaves and the team will have to decide if they agree on what his future in Los Angeles looks like and to what extent that involves the ball in his hands.

All statistics courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise noted. You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.