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When the Los Angeles Lakers traded away D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, it was a signal to guard Austin Reaves. Head coach JJ Redick was telling Reaves that he was ready to become a primary creator and initiator for an L.A. offense that has been in the top half of the league for much of the season.
In the seven games prior to the deal, Reaves had been averaging 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists a night on relatively strong shooting numbers. That gave the organization confidence that he could continue that on a larger scale.