The Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves in the middle of some unexpected noise - and not the kind that comes from a buzzer-beater or a fast break at Crypto.com Arena.
This time, the chatter came off the court, sparked by comments from Rich Paul - high-profile agent and longtime business partner of LeBron James - who floated an eyebrow-raising trade idea on a podcast with Max Kellerman. Paul suggested the Lakers should consider trading guard Austin Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jaren Jackson Jr.
Naturally, that kind of statement - especially coming from someone so closely tied to the face of the franchise - got people talking. But according to a Lakers source, Reaves didn’t give the comment much oxygen.
He reportedly brushed it off without much concern. Still, the situation wasn’t completely ignored.
One of Reaves’ agents, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, made it a point to approach Paul at halftime of the Lakers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. The two spoke for over five minutes on the sideline, and the topic was exactly what you'd expect - Paul’s public comments about Reaves.
LeBron, for his part, made it clear that Rich Paul speaks for Rich Paul - not for him.
“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 reporters. “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.”
James emphasized that he’s not involved in Paul’s podcast takes and doesn’t coordinate with him on what’s said publicly. “That’s his whole thing.
That’s what he’s doing. That’s his platform,” James said.
“I have zero conversations about what his topics are going to be or what they are going to talk about.”
More importantly for Lakers fans, LeBron was unequivocal in his support for Reaves - both as a teammate and as a person.
“AR knows how I feel about him,” James said. “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.”
LeBron doubled down, pointing out that he and Paul are grown men with their own views - and that one man’s opinion shouldn’t be mistaken for another’s.
“Rich has his perspective of what he sees, I have my perspective,” James said. “I’m a grown man, he’s a grown man and I think people should realize that grown men can say whatever the f- they want to say and it shouldn’t reflect somebody else is saying it.”
The Lakers, currently sitting at 24-15 and holding the fifth spot in the Western Conference, have enough to focus on between now and the All-Star break. Reaves, who has become a key piece of this roster and the longest-tenured teammate alongside LeBron, continues to play a vital role in L.A.’s backcourt rotation.
While trade rumors and media speculation are part of life in the NBA, especially in a market like Los Angeles, it’s clear that inside the locker room, the bond between Reaves and James is intact. And as the Lakers push through the grind of the season, that chemistry - not the podcast chatter - is what really matters.