80 million backcourt paradox: offense, no defense? Lakers legendary explains the necessity of trading Reeves

Austin Reeves will receive a generous contract in 2026, but Robert Horry believes the Los Angeles Lakers should not offer it a huge contract. In the latest podcast, the Lakers celebrity explained why the team should sign and then exchange Reeves instead of being bound to it for a long time.

"If the Lakers' management is wise enough, it should adopt the sign-and-change strategy," Horry said. "I say that because there are two homogeneous players in the team - Luka Doncic and Reeves. It does not mean that the technical characteristics are exactly the same, but they are in the defender position and have highly overlapping functional attributes. "

"This will cause waste of resources," Horry emphasized, "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Reeves' ability to play, but the team does not need players with similar functions. N BA emphasizes lineup adaptability, and all great teams have diversity - you can't see two Jokics, or find two Antetokounmpo or two Alexander. "

"Even during the Heat's Big Three, LeBron and his teammates performed their own duties,"Horry continued to analyze, "Looking at the championship lineup of the Lakers and Celtics, each player plays a different role. "

Discussions about whether the backcourt combination of Reeves and Doncic can win the championship already exists. Although the technical styles are different, the two have the same fate: defensive flaws.

In the first round of the 2025 playoffs, the Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, which disappointed the defensive performance of the backcourt combination. Although the regular season pair scored 50 wins and 32 losses, their defensive limitations were fully exposed in the playoffs.

The Lakers have used three years to renew Doncic's contract with $165 million, and the five-time All-Star is undoubtedly the new cornerstone of the team. After transferring to the Lakers in the 2024-25 season, the 26-year-old Slovenian star averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The status of the current top superstar is enough to lead the team to the glory, provided that it is equipped with a suitable auxiliary lineup.

Horry, who once completed three consecutive championships with the team, believes that 27-year-old Reeves is not an ideal puzzle. Although the latter averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season, his value soared - this summer he just refused a $90 million contract renewal offer and is expected to jump out of the $14.9 million player option in the 2026-27 season. It is revealed that Reeves will seek a contract with an annual salary of more than 30 million yuan in 2026.

If the Lakers meet their requirements, the total annual salary of the backcourt combination will exceed US$80 million. Although the offensive end is amazing, it is questionable whether such a configuration is the best. Horry was negative about this: "He must be traded. You can appreciate his game, but from the perspective of business logic and championship competition, if you can exchange it for high-quality assets, you should take decisive action. "

Opposition to the transaction pointed out: Doncic once partnered with Irving to lead the Mavericks into the 2024 finals. Although Irving is far better than Reeves and is also not good at defense, the Mavericks have made up for the shortcomings of the backcourt by equipting a top-level defensive lineup, which may provide reference for the Lakers.

How the Lakers will make a final decision is exciting. Although it is generally believed that the team will give priority to retaining players, if the backcourt defense issues continue, the management may re-evaluate the trading plan.