LeBron James’ Agent Stirs Controversy With Lakers Trade Suggestion

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People inside the Lakers organization reportedly weren’t happy with recent comments made by LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul. Speaking on the Game Over podcast, Paul suggested the Lakers aren’t true championship contenders and floated the idea of trading Austin Reaves for Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., remarks that did not sit well internally, according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha.

“If I was the Lakers, I would probably be targeting the Memphis Grizzlies as a trade partner for Jaren Jackson Jr.,” Paul said. “If you’re building around Luka going forward, you need that anchor, and Jaren doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild.”

The idea of moving Reaves, a fan favorite, for Jackson has been met with skepticism. Reaves was playing some of the best basketball of his career before a calf injury, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. A trade involving him would likely spark major backlash from the fan base.

Jackson, while still regarded as one of the league’s top defenders, hasn’t shown much offensive growth in recent seasons. This year, he is averaging 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 47.9 percent from the field, solid numbers but arguably not enough to justify giving up a key piece like Reaves.