Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James distanced himself from his agent Rich Paul’s comments about trading Austin Reaves, saying Paul is his own man and that Reaves knows how he feels about him.
LeBron James addressed comments from his agent, Rich Paul, suggesting that the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Austin Reaves, clarifying his own stance after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
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Earlier, Paul had proposed that the Lakers trade their fan-favorite guard for Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., saying it would be best for both the team and Reaves. However, LeBron made it clear that his agent’s statements do not reflect his own views.
“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 Dave McMenamin of ESPN after a 141-116 win against the Hawks.
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"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."
"Rich, that's what he's doing," James told ESPN. "That's his whole thing. That's what he's doing. That's what he's talking about, but I have zero conversations about what his topics are going to be or what they are going to talk about. He is his own man and that is his platform."
LeBron also stressed that Reaves knows exactly how he feels about him, noting that they communicate every day, and that Paul’s statements reflect only his own perspective.
"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."
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"Rich has his perspective of what he sees, I have my perspective. 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 are heading into an important offseason, as Reaves is expected to decline his $14.9 million player option. Before a calf injury sidelined him, 27-year-old was on a tear, averaging 26.6 points along with 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds.
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