Rich Paul shut down Lakers-Warriors trade talks about LeBron James last season, according to a report from independent NBA journalist Marc Stein.
Stein revealed that discussions regarding a potential trade for James reached a significant level, involving conversations between Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. Warriors star Draymond Green, a close friend of James, also advocated for the idea of the 39-year-old legend moving to the Warriors.
However, these discussions stalled primarily because of Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, who was firmly against the idea. Paul aimed to protect James’ reputation, as Stein noted.
“Sources say Paul implored both teams to scrap the concept … largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career,” Stein reported in an article published on Sunday (via Bleacher Report).
After the February NBA midseason trade deadline, ESPN reported that Golden State sought to acquire James, but the talks lost momentum when Buss informed Lacob that the Lakers were not interested in trading their superstar. Paul reiterated that James had no desire to join the Warriors.
Green even reached out to Paul regarding James’ potential interest in the Warriors, but was quickly rebuffed, according to the ESPN report. A similar inquiry from the Philadelphia 76ers also met with a firm denial.
Despite the trade talks, James and Warriors star Steph Curry had the opportunity to play together this summer, leading Team USA to a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball. James, who served as the team’s face and flag bearer at the Paris 2024 opening ceremonies, averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game during the tournament.
While James led the team in rebounds and assists, Curry’s impressive shooting performances in the semifinal against Serbia and the gold medal game against France were vital to Team USA’s success. Curry averaged 14.6 points per game, slightly outscoring James.
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Looking ahead, James appears set to conclude his NBA career with the Lakers, especially after the franchise selected his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. This move positions them to become the first father-son duo to play on the same team in NBA history.
