Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it appears that forward LeBron James will begin the 2025 season as a member of the team. The Los Angeles Lakers.
According to a report Sunday from basketball veteran Marc Stein, James may have his agent Rich Paul to thank for that.
According to Stein, it was Paul who ended tentative trade talks between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors surrounding James last season.
“It is believed that the Lakers would have reluctantly considered trade talks with the Warriors before last February’s trade deadline if James wanted them to seriously engage in discussions with Golden State about a potential deal. Yet league sources say the reported discussions between the teams at the time never got to that point, largely because James’ agent, Rich Paul, was adamantly opposed to the idea of LeBron James trading Southern California for Northern California,” Stein wrote.
James’ move north would have been an earthquake: one of the most famous athletes of the 21st century would be joining the rival with whom he is most closely associated. Paul, Stein said, thought about what that would look like and didn’t like what he saw.
“Sources say Rich Paul implored both teams to abandon the concept … largely because he wanted to protect James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career,” Stein wrote.
Friendship, business acumen, both or neither? You be the judge.
