The Los Angeles Lakers need time to get a better feel for what they can and can't do during the 2024-25 NBA season.

Should this process prove—or at least highly suggest—that the Purple and Gold don't have enough to contend for the crown, they might have to revisit their stance on a key contributor.

That player is fourth-year guard Austin Reaves, perhaps the biggest in-house success story for this front office. They brought him in as an undrafted player on a two-way pact and have since seen him blossom into a high-mileage starter who plays one of the most critical roles in this offense.

Now, include the fact he's playing on one of the league's best non-rookie contracts, and it's easy to see why the franchise likes having him around.

So much so, in fact, that they've deemed him "virtually untouchable" in past talks, per The Athletic's Sam Amick.

There is some gray area here, since virtually untouchable has a bit of wiggle room to it. Still, if the Lakers have essentially torpedoed trade talks for Reaves before they've even gotten started, that feels like a step too far.

He is a rock-solid support piece. He can handle and create, but he's just as comfortable (and capable) adding off-ball value to the offense. He takes smart shots and makes smart cuts. He competes defensively.

He is the kind of player every contender could plug into a complementary role.

But what happens if LeBron James and Anthony Davis need more help? Is there actually another level that the 26-year-old Reaves can reach?

That feels pretty optimistic. To his credit, he has played some of his best basketball at the start of this season. Per-game contributions of 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists are nothing to sneeze at, particularly when they're coming from a player who's shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three.

Then again, we're looking at a five-game sample. And two of those five games weren't great. That's not to say it's impossible for him to sustain this production, but it's just too early to tell.

This volume feels about right for his role—he averaged 15.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds last season—but the efficiency might be a little inflated. Either way, we're talking about a really good role player on an excellent contract.

The Lakers would be smart to ask for quite a bit in return for him. They'd also be foolish to just dismiss the mere idea of a Reaves deal outright. They might need a substantial upgrade at some point, and he's their best hope for getting that type of trade done.

L.A. has other trade assets, but they might not be as coveted as people think. As Amick relayed, a package built around D'Angelo Russell and "multiple first-round picks" wouldn't interest the Utah Jazz in a deal for Walker Kessler.

Assuming that isn't a bluff—that feels like plenty for an interior big man—that's a less than encouraging glimpse of how the market views the Lakers' asset collection. That's why if they really want to move the needle, they might have to dangle Reaves. (Whatever theoretical value 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino held is likely out the window with the club declining his third-year option.)

They'll need Reaves to get any kind of major dealing done, but it only makes sense if it's a swap of that magnitude. He is one of the Association's better support players, so sending him out for another high end role player would accomplish nothing.

Put a legitimate star on the table, though, and L.A.'s "untouchable" role player should be very much touchable.