The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that actually had a worse regular-season record. The series ended 4-1 and sparked debate about which areas the team must improve if they hope to contend for an NBA title soon—with LeBron James and Luka Dončić leading the charge.

Playoff Elimination Takeaways

The postseason loss made one thing clear: if the Lakers want a real shot at the NBA championship, they need to bolster their interior defense and frontcourt depth, which has suffered since Anthony Davis was traded in a blockbuster deal that brought Luka Dončić to Los Angeles. The failed acquisition of Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets also left a noticeable void in the paint.

It’s no secret that Luka Dončić and LeBron James are considered “untouchable” pieces for the Lakers, and there aren’t many other players the team can realistically move in a potential trade. But now, one more name has been added to that short list.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers aren’t expected to make significant roster changes, and alongside LeBron and Luka, Austin Reaves is also now seen as “untouchable.”

Reaves has become one of the more debated names on this list, especially following his underwhelming NBA Playoff performance. Still, the franchise seems to view him as a key piece for their future championship hopes.

“I think the chances of him [Reaves] being traded are really low—at least this summer,” Buha said in the Lakers Mailbag. “One of the things we reported last week is that the Lakers don’t want to trade Austin Reaves. That’s something I’ve been hearing consistently for more than three years,” he added.

“I’ve reported it multiple times over the past few years. The Lakers have a high threshold to move Austin; they value him and hold him in high regard,” Buha concluded.

And the public statements back that up. Both JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka praised Austin Reaves in their end-of-season press conferences following the Lakers’ early playoff exit. Pelinka, the team’s President of Basketball Operations, even called Reaves “one of the pillars of the organization.”

Quite the praise. But in the NBA, words are fleeting—and “business is business” often has the final say.