The Detroit Pistons have several dream targets on their list heading into the offseason, one of which is almost guaranteed to be Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves.
A pathway for Detroit to land Reaves seems far-fetched, but if the Pistons can find a way to leverage an answer to the Lakers' largest roster weakness, Detroit very well could pry the All-Star caliber playmaker out of the Lakers' hands.
Reaves is likely a priority for the Lakers to bring back, especially considering Luka Doncic has already expressed a desire to continue playing alongside his backcourt running mate moving forward.
However, Rob Pelinka is headed towards an offseason where he'll be tasked with answering several questions if he hopes to get the historic franchise back in the NBA Finals anytime soon, one of which they've already made public on several occasions.
The largest question the Lakers need to address looms large in the frontcourt with the massive void at center.
Fortunately for Los Angeles, Detroit may be more than willing to help solve their issue while finding a solution of their own.
An Austin Reaves-Jalen Duren swap would be perfect
JJ Redick has made it clear that Deandre Ayton is not the answer at center, and with the Lakers' cap space this offseason, Pelinka could be willing to think outside the box.
Reaves wants to return to Los Angeles, but he also wants to prove he can be an All-NBA talent while landing the lucrative deal he's due at this point in his career.
Meanwhile, the Pistons' leverage in contract negotiations with Duren this offseason, after an All-NBA regular season turned into a postseason nightmare, could lead to the team sending him into restricted free agency to find the max contract he's desperately seeking.
If that is the case, who's to say the Lakers don't get a wild idea to pursue the 22-year-old big man, fresh off an All-Star season and All-NBA nod?
Doncic wants to continue playing alongside Reaves, but he's also made it clear dating back to his time with the Dallas Mavericks, how important it is to him to play with a dominant big man. Duren answers the bell, but if it costs the team Reaves, would it be worth it?
The same question remains for the Pistons, who could find the perfect running mate in Reaves to pair alongside Cade Cunningham, but in doing so, they risk upsetting their star guard, who's grown close off the court with Duren.
Unfortunately, the only problem is that this potential deal is probably just as much a dream as it is unlikely, even with it being mentioned as a realistic hypothetical trade.
Lakers don't want to lose Reaves
The Lakers are forced to consider life after LeBron James more so than ever this offseason, especially considering the future Hall of Famer's time in Los Angeles could be coming to an end sooner than later.
Building around Doncic is the clear direction, and furthermore, building a contender around Doncic and Reaves seems to be the most likely path forward.
Duren answers a direct question for the Lakers, but after the questions emerged for Detroit with the big man's postseason struggles, LA would be forced to ask themselves the same question before pursuing him.
For the Pistons, acquiring Reaves would make them better, but for the Lakers, the upgrade from Ayton to Duren in the frontcourt doesn't make a big enough impact to warrant this deal.
Considering this deal would also require a rare double sign-and-trade, it makes a potential move even more unlikely, as fun as it would be.
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