LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, discussed one of the biggest and most controversial rumors about the four-time NBA champion during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 2021 trade with the Washington Wizards that brought Russell Westbrook to Southern California is still a popular topic among fans. The Westbrook experiment didn’t work out for the Lakers, who eventually sent him to the Utah Jazz two years later.
The 2021 trade with the Washington Wizards that brought Russell Westbrook to Southern California is still a popular topic among fans. The Westbrook experiment didn’t work out for the Lakers, who eventually sent him to the Utah Jazz two years later.
James’ involvement in this deal was always a source of discussion among fans. While some insisted he was at fault for pushing a move for Westbrook, a player who couldn’t make an impact on the team and never felt comfortable with the purple and gold.
During his Thursday appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Paul denied that his most famous client and best friend had something to do with the Westbrook trade.
“And that’s false,” the Klutch Sports founder said when asked whether James had a say on his team’s moves.
He added that the allegations were serious and they could put James at odds with some of his teammates who believed he wanted them out of the team.
“Clearly, he don’t run the team because there’s things that transpired that he didn’t even know about. So how is he running the team? The Westbrook trade, he didn’t make that trade, contrary to what people try to put out there. He did not make that trade, and I know that for a fact.”
While Paul insists James didn’t make the trade, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported in 2021 that the four-time NBA champion, Westbrook and Anthony Davis met at James’ house to discuss how they would work things out. James even suggested changing positions, going from small forward to power forward, while Davis would go from power forward to center.
Four years later, the Westbrook trade is widely considered one of the worst in the Lakers’ recent history. They have renewed hopes with another blockbuster deal for Luka Doncic.
