Implications of Austin Reaves missing time with a left calf strain abound for the Los Angeles Lakers. You can now go ahead and add another one to the laundry list of fallout developments: The Lakers are less likely to swing a meaningful trade by the deadline.
This is not meant to imply that Reaves was on the table in prospective negotiations. He almost assuredly wasn’t. And even if he were, he is definitely not anymore.
Reaves’ absence is instead a reminder of the fine lines that the Lakers are towing. They were already at a disadvantage in possible talks when looking at their available assets.