Last year, Anthony Davis pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to bring in another center. Surprisingly, the team ended up trading Davis and acquiring Luka Doncic instead. Following another failed title run, much of the blame has now shifted toward Austin Reaves, whose underwhelming playoff performance has drawn heavy criticism.
However, amid the fallout, a new idea has emerged from one of the NBA’s most prominent voices. On the latest episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons threw out a bold trade scenario involving the reigning MVP. Simmons suggested that the Lakers could acquire Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers without giving up Reaves at all.
“Here’s ALL of our expirings (Rui, DFS, Gabe, Kleber) and a (first-round pick), and we’ll get you out of the Joel Embiid business. Here’s your ‘get out of jail free’ card right now; you don’t have to deal with him anymore,” Simmons said.
“Here’s ALL of our expirings (Rui, DFS, Gabe, Kleber) and a [first-round pick] and we’ll get you out of the Joel Embiid business.”
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) May 5, 2025
Bill Simmons outlines a way for the Lakers to trade for Joel Embiid without giving up Austin Reaves 👀 pic.twitter.com/NYavFnxKIf
“That’s my favorite Lakers move. All their expiring and two first-round picks, and they get Embiid. Reaves isn’t in it; he’s not in it. You don’t even get Reaves. We don’t know if Embiid is ever playing again. I’m like, I’ll take Embiid, you can have one of our first-round picks, and here’s some bunch of expirings,” he added.
Austin Reaves’ Playoff Struggles Linked To Painful Toe Injury
Lakers guard Austin Reaves emerged as the team’a most reliable third option throughout the 2024-25 regular season. But when the playoffs arrived, Reaves’ performance took a noticeable dip. In five games during the 2025 playoffs, Reaves averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
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Now, it appears there was a painful reason behind it. Lakers insider Trevor Lane recently shed light on the situation, reporting that Reaves played through a left big toe sprain during the entire playoff series. According to Lane, Reaves was originally expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks due to the injury.
However, rather than sit out and potentially let down his team during a crucial matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Reaves chose to push through the pain. Though some critics were quick to judge Reaves’ playoff drop-off, this new information brings necessary context behind his struggle.
Also Read: REPORT: Luka Doncic Is ‘Fully Committed’ To Sign Contract Extension With The Los Angeles Lakers
