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Following the recent controversy surrounding Lakers’ shooting guard Austin Reaves’ trade from the franchise, a new debate has sparked, going far beyond Austin Reaves. What started as a hypothetical discussion has taken a turn to become one of the franchise’s most heated controversies involving Luka Doncic.


Over the past few weeks, there have been talks about whether the team's core players could stay competitive long term. With maximum contracts coming up and the pressure to chase a championship, even star players like Luka Doncic are being considered for a trade. Max Kellerman’s recent comments have drawn attention from not just the fans but across the entire NBA.


Lakers trade chatter shifts focus from Austin Reaves to Luka Doncic as the more valuable trade move


The controversy initially gained attention when Rich Paul suggested a hypothetical scenario involving a trade between Austin Reaves and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” podcast. While Paul later clarified that the conversation was never meant to signify an actual trade plan, the damage was already done. Fans and analysts quickly started questioning whether the Lakers were trying to move Reaves from the franchise.

Things took a turn when, instead of focusing on moving Reaves, Kellerman suggested that trading Luka Doncic could make more sense. He justified his statement, saying, “I like Austin Reaves a lot, as does Rich, by the way”, indicating that Luka’s trade value would bring a significantly larger return, “I can get x for Austin. I can get 3x for Luka”, Max added. Nonetheless, this idea shocked many, given Doncic’s status and role as a star player for any franchise lucky enough to have him.

Online backlash erupts over Luka Doncic trade speculation
Fans have reacted with backlash and frustration towards the discussion around the Lakers, especially the idea of trading Doncic. One fan commented, “These guys don’t need a mike lol. I could do this job if I just get up there and say random stuff lol”. While another added, “Kellerman had a salary bonus by midget on his left and has become Kellerdumb”. “Lmfao. Full blown re***** these two. How about that LeBron guy who hasn’t played a l*** of defense in years?”, a fan added. While someone bluntly pointed out, “Yet another reason why Max should stick to boxing”. “Does every podcast have to be about the lakers? There’s 29 other teams do they talk about anyone else”, a fan commented over a clip if the podcast shared on X.


Overall, these reactions suggest that fans see the bold take as absurd and attention-seeking rather than serious basketball analysis, which implies that the analysts are saying just to spark controversy and not because the idea makes any real sense.


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