Rich Paul Has Surprising Take On Lakers’ Offseason Plans

Maybe LeBron James will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers.

There’s not any evidence the he’s leaning that way aside from the feelings of rival executives. But, given his comfort with and respect for the Lakers’ organization, it’s a remote possibility. Until James decides whether to enter free agency —and if so, until puts his name on the dotted line —there’ll be speculation about him leaving L.A. though.

That’s the nature of the human mind, not just sports media. Our imaginations allow us to formulate many scenarios, which are then borne out in art, science, or an NBA trade machine.

Rich Paul Has Surprising Take On Lakers’ Offseason

James is more cryptic than his agent Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports.

Given their position, it’s understandable why they wouldn’t want to lay all of their cards on the table. James is already the source of more speculation and debate than any player in NBA history. Paul, who represents several other stars, has to consider his client’s interest and their trust.

Yet, even he’s willing to say some things that they’re not.

Take, for instance, his recent one-on-one with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. As James is Paul’s most popular client, the discussion understandably began to head towards the 20-time All-Star. With Paul acting as a spokesperson for James at times, this is par for the course.

Nonetheless, his opinion on the Lakers’ offseason approach was a head-turner in any context:

“In my opinion, the Lakers’ focus should probably be more so on Anthony Davis than LeBron at this point,” Paul proclaims.

He refused to delve further into the subject.

Doing Right by AD

It’s worth noting that Davis signed with Klutch Sports in 2018.

To that point, Paul may only want to do right by his client. At 31 years old, Davis is no spring chicken. However, unlike James, he’s not knocking on retirement’s door. So, for all of the focus on James and his desires, it may be more prudent for the Lakers and others to focus on The Brow.

After all, Davis is coming off his best season in Los Angeles. While earning his first All-Star berth since 2021, he averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. In the postseason, averaging 27.8 points, 15.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game on 63.4 percent shooting from the field.

If the Lakers are looking beyond the next two seasons, Davis is their centerpiece, not just a center.

Still the King

Ultimately, James could still leave the Lakers as a free agent. Of course, Paul is more privy to James’s thinking than anyone aside from his wife perhaps. Yet, with James’s history, it’s entirely possible that even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do yet.

The Philadelphia 76ers are projected to have enough cap room to sign him. He’s flirted with the New York Knicks, who can clear up to $24 million in cap space without trades. The Cleveland Cavaliers make sense as a final landing spot if they’d agree to a sign-and-trade.

However, several teams will have interest in James if he becomes available. He’s lost a bit of athleticism, but the 39-year-old is still dominant enough to earn one of the 15 All-NBA spots. In fact, in 2023-24, James was named an All-NBA selection for a record 20th time.