With the trade deadline looming, the Lakers have been linked to De’Aaron Fox, but a deal seems unlikely—especially with Austin Reaves off-limits.

De'Aaron Fox is a better basketball player than Austin Reaves. We can get that part out of the way from the start. There is no real statistical argument otherwise. Even the most optimistic projections of Reaves' increasingly bright future have to acknowledge that Fox has physical gifts that he simply does not.

On Tuesday, news broke that the Sacramento Kings are open to moving Fox before the NBA trade deadline and that he welcomes a potential change of scenery. Given that Fox's agent is Rich Paul, who has deep ties to the Lakers and represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis, L.A. was immediately suggested as a destination.