“I think the sky’s the limit for us. We’re moving in the right direction… I want to be in LA. I want to play my whole career in LA.” That’s Austin Reaves, doubling down on his commitment to the Lakers. But even as he says all the right things, his name keeps popping up in trade rumors. And now, in a new interview, Reaves just made a surprising confession about JJ Redick that makes those rumors feel even more out of place.The revelation came during an interview on the Lakers Podcast with Trevor Lane. When asked about his first season playing for Redick, Reaves didn’t hesitate. He pulled back the curtain on a private conversation he had with his coach at the end of their playoff run. “I jokingly told him at the end of the year…not jokingly, it was the truth, but I never.. I’m a very sarcastic person, especially with them…that it was the most fun I’ve had playing basketball in a long time,” Reaves admitted. “I enjoyed going to work. It wasn’t like..‘Oh, I’ve got to do this again.’ They made it fun every day.”For a player whose name is constantly swirling in trade rumors, hearing him talk about his job with that much pure joy is a big deal. He didn’t just praise the fun atmosphere, though. He got real about what makes Redick a special coach. “His [JJ Redick] intensity, his care factor is you know almost higher than anybody’s if not higher than anybody’s,” Reaves said. He even touched on Redick’s own self-criticism after that playoff loss: “And he’ll be the first to tell you… that he wishes that he might have did a couple things differently in that series.” But that’s what makes him special: “he holds himself to a high standard. That’s all you can ask for in a coach.”But this is the NBA—where loyalty is fleeting and chemistry often gets sacrificed at the altar of star-chasing. Austin Reaves may be coming off his best season yet, but that hasn’t stopped his name from swirling in trade rumors. Why? Because outside of the Lakers’ untouchables—LeBron James and Luka Doncic—Reaves is their most valuable trade chip, thanks to his ascending game and team-friendly contract.If L.A. wants to bring in a third star, Reaves is almost guaranteed to be part of the price. When asked about the noise during his youth camp in Arkansas, he gave the expected, no-nonsense answer: “I don’t pay attention to it. I keep my head down, work, and I feel like that’s one of the reasons I’m where I’m at.”(This is a developing story…)The post Austin Reaves Reveals His Confession to JJ Redick He Never Made Before Amid Lakers Trade Rumors appeared first on EssentiallySports.