Luka Doncic and the Lakers are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Los Angeles is 22-11 in 2025-26. That is good enough for third in the Western Conference.
One glaring issue for the Lakers early in the year has been their defensive efficiency. They are bottom six in the NBA this season in terms of their defensive rating. To help solve that issue, former player turned analyst DeMarcus Cousins proposed a trade between the Lakers and Suns. Cousins said the Lakers should trade Austin Reaves for Dillon Brooks.
Would the Lakers entertain a trade to attain Dillon Brooks?
Through their first 33 games in 2025-26, offense hasn’t been the issue for Los Angeles. Luka Doncic leads the NBA with 33.7 points per game. Additionally, Austin Reaves is averaging a career-high 26.6 points per game for the Lakers. Together, they’ve been one of the top backcourt duos in the NBA. However, the Lakers have struggled on defense all season long, even in their wins. A 118.3 defensive rating is 24th of 30 teams in the league. Los Angeles is in the bottom half for defensive rating. It’s been apparent all season long.
Additionally, the Lakers have a defensive rating of 1.146 this year. That is 25th of 30 teams. Only the Wizards, Jazz, Pelicans, Kings, and Bulls have been worse. Los Angeles needs to find a fix on defense if it wants to make a deep run in the 2026 playoffs. Recently, Fan Duel TV’s DeMarcus Cousins suggested a trade between the Lakers and Suns. Cousins said Los Angeles should trade Austin Reaves to the Suns for Dillon Brooks.
He made the argument that Brooks could instantly help fix inefficiencies for the Lakers on defense. DeMarcus Cousins mentioned that Dillon Brooks has changed the culture of every team he’s played for. That includes the Suns in 2025-26, his first year with the franchise. Dillon Brooks is known for his grit and hustle on the defensive end. On top of that, he called Brooks a proven winner. He has all the intangible qualities to be a successful piece for the Lakers.
However, will both sides be willing to make the deal happen? Austin Reaves declined to sign a long-term deal with Los Angeles. That makes him an unrestricted free agent this offseason. One could speculate that the Lakers will make a serious offer to keep Reaves. Additionally, the Suns just acquired Dillon Brooks in a trade with the Rockets this past offseason. The trade suggested by DeMarcus Cousins was hypothetical. As of now, there is no trade interest between the Lakers and Suns.
