LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul clears air on trade rumors. What did he say?
The Los Angeles Lakers are not doing well, but the idea that the franchise’s icon and arguably the greatest player in history would leave was always a stretch.
The agent of the Lakers’ star has not only been his closest business associate for many years, but his friend. With that in mind, it stands to reason that word when it comes to his client’s future, his word can be trusted.
The Los Angeles Lakers in context
Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers scraped into the NBA’s Play-In-Tournament with a record of 43-39 and then managed to make the playoffs after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime. It was a big deal. Then, they improved to dismiss the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, before making believers out of the skeptics with the elimination of the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Yes, they were eventually swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, but the point is, it was a respectable run for a franchise that has struggled in recent years.
Incidentally, it was also the first time that LeBron James lost in the conference finals since 2009 when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic in six games. Speaking of James, you may know that there is once again speculation about his future with the team. With the above-mentioned history as a pretext, it’s only logical that the team’s present record of 25-25 doesn’t help. To be clear, the Lakers are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and the trade deadline is one week away. With all of this in mind, it’s only natural that the folks start talking about whether James will be departing.
Rich Paul says LeBron James is going nowhere
“LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be,” Rich Paul said on Friday, and with that, we can say the rumors can be put to rest. Speaking with ESPN, LeBron James’ longtime agent made it clear that his client has no desire to leave Los Angeles. It is of course worth noting, that Paul’s statement comes after James himself posted an hourglass emoji on social media which led many to speculate that the 20-time All-Star was signaling the end. According to Paul, that’s not the case. Just so you know, James has a player option worth $51.4 million for next season, which means he could become a free agent at the end of the season if he chooses to opt-out.
Such a situation while plausible is not necessarily plausible. Unless of course, the Lakers fail to get their act together soon. It’s reasonable to believe that at 39 years old James knows the clock is ticking. If the Lakers don’t make a similarly deep run this year, or even better, could we see the NBA’s all-time points leader looking for greener pastures?