Jan. 14 (UPI) — LeBron James distanced himself from comments made by agent Rich Paul, who recently urged the Los Angeles Lakers to trade teammate Austin Reaves.
James discussed the comments during a postgame interview with ESPN on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The star forward said they were “not a direct reflection” of how he felt. Paul, of Klutch Sports, made the push to trade Reaves during a recent episode of the Game Over podcast.
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“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 told ESPN.
“I hope people know that, and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.”
James’ Lakers (24-14) sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. They beat the Atlanta Hawks 141-116 on Tuesday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James (C) separated himself from comments made by agent Rich Paul (R) about a potential Austin Reaves trade. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
James, 41, totaled 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the blowout victory. He is averaging 22.4 points per game, his lowest total since his 2003-04 rookie campaign.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is set to hit free agency this off-season, but also is expected to retire soon.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (R) is currently out with a calf strain. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Reaves, 27, averaged a career-best 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game through his first 23 appearances this season. The five-year veteran has a $14.8 million player option available in 2026-27, but is expected to opt out. He would be eligible for a five-year, $241 million max contract extension from the Lakers.
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Paul suggested on his podcast that the Lakers could offer Reaves, expiring contracts and either their 2031 or 2032 first-round picks in the NBA Draft to the Memphis Grizzlies for big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and forward GG Jackson.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (R) averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game through his first 23 appearances this season. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
The agent also stressed that Reaves deserves to be paid, but his future contract could make it challenging for the Lakers to build a full roster around All-Star guard Luka Doncic.
“Now, I love him [Reaves] 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 …,” Paul said.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James averaged 22.4 points per game through his first 21 starts this season. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
Paul also said Jaren Jackson Jr. “does not want to be part of a rebuild,” hinting at his potential exit from the Grizzlies. Reaves’ agent, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, spoke with Paul at Tuesday’s game. The Lakers guard hasn’t played since Dec. 25 due to a calf strain.
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Reports in recent weeks have also emerged citing unhappiness within the Lakers organization about Paul’s podcast. Paul also represents Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has a $21.6 million player option next season, but could be traded or opt out to hit free agency.
The Lakers will host the Charlotte Hornets (14-26) at 10:30 p.m. EST Thursday in Los Angeles.
