Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said he has a difference of opinion with his longtime agent, Rich Paul, who suggested that the team should trade Austin Reaves.
James spoke after the Lakers’ 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks and cleared the air about his feelings on Paul’s comments.
‘I think you all know by now, Rich is his own man and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me and how I feel,’ James said to ESPN. ‘And I hope people know that. I hope people know that and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.’
Paul, on an episode of his podcast ‘Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul,’ said the Lakers should trade Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies for forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
‘This comes with a very unemotional attachment because Austin is beloved, which he should be, he’s an underdog,’ Paul said. ‘There’s a world where you can do what’s best for your team, and do what’s best for Austin. Because Austin deserves to get paid. Now, I love him as a Laker, but if that was a situation where we’re getting balance – because if you put all the money into just the backcourt and then your flexibility is restricted going forward to fill out the rest of the team, then (building a full roster is challenging).’
James said there is no friction between him and the 27-year-old Reaves, who was averaging a career-high 26.6 points per game, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in 23 games before being sidelined with a calf strain suffered in the Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets.
Reaves signed a four-year $53.83 million contract with Los Angeles in 2023, and has a player option of $14.9 million, which he is likely to opt out of this summer.
‘AR knows how I feel about him,’ James told ESPN. ‘All you got to do is look at us on the bench. Me and AR talk every single day. So, AR knows how I feel about him and I hope AR – or his camp – don’t look at me and think this is words from me are coming through Rich.’