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Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager, said that the organization wanted to give James the space and time necessary to figure out whatever he plans to do next. Team sources have said that stance has not changed. James’ agent, Rich Paul, told Pat McAfee Friday that he hadn’t even discussed options for next season with James (though he mentioned interest from a third of the league should James decide to continue playing).
NBA on ESPN: Despite rumors circulating, Rich Paul tells @PatMcAfeeshow that he hasn't had a conversation with LeBron James about next season, but has received calls from "about 10-12 teams" interested 👀 "Believe nothing that's out there because I haven't had one conversation with him."
Speaking on the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, the veteran agent pointed to OG Anunoby's consistent impact on both ends of the floor. “OG… He’s been the most reliable on the Knicks in this series on both ends of the floor. He’s shot it well from three, he’s guarded, he’s made the hustle plays getting the 50-50 balls.” “And so when you look at his overall impact on the series in each game, it’s been OG. He’s hit every timely shot, every big shot, he made a big play tonight on both ends of the floor between the block and then the tip to put them up one with 1.2 seconds left to go in the game.”
Lakers fans expecting major roster moves or even a radical overhaul of the role players on the team may want to prep themselves for a more status quo offseason, league sources told NBC Sports. LeBron and his agent, Rich Paul, are reportedly going to ask for the max from the Lakers and want to know how the Lakers plan to spend that money if they are offering less, which is really a complicated way of saying they want to know what the Lakers’ plans are.
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When you say you and LeBron James bonded over your mothers, what do you mean? Rich Paul: His mother was young when she had him, 16 years of age, and he moved around and things of that nature. And my mom was also someone who was not as young when she had me, but young when she had my siblings. And there's a lot of similarities in us, obviously, he was the only child. I'm the youngest child. And we just talked a lot about things, and I opened up to him about things that my mom was struggling with and things of that nature. And so, we had real conversations.
"Also, that would require LeBron to play for $3 million. And I don't want to spend his money. If he wants to play for $3 million, he can do it. But until I hear from Rich Paul that LeBron is ready to play for $3 million, I'm not going to believe it. "I'd watch Golden State. He played with Steph Curry and Steve Kerr on the Olympics. You know he's close with Draymond Green. I mean, so I still think it's Lakers. I say 51% Lakers, and then we'll see," he added.
Rich Paul: "I've earned my positions, no question about it. No one in my industry has evolved to the level that I've gotten to in terms of not just being agent and really adding layers of depth to my capabilities and my positioning and my perception and all that. And I've earned that of the biggest and the best. My circles are the real decision makers and disruptors and people who built great businesses. I definitely have that respect and I'm appreciative of that because you don't get here by yourself either."
Rich Paul: "People still aren't comfortable with leadership looking how I look. I'm talking about the sole decision maker, not someone who works at a company and is a head of something."
Rich Paul: "In this industry I'm in, being young, being Black, not following their rules and things of that nature, from people that look like me and from others behind the scenes, still to this day with all my success, there's not a time where a competitive agent from any one of these other agencies don't go into a household and speak negative about me without even knowing me. They lead with that."
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NBA Courtside: Rich Paul says Michael Jordan is the GOAT, but LeBron is the best player ever: (Via Game Over)
Rich Paul says Michael Jordan is the GOAT, but LeBron is the best player ever:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 3, 2026
(Via Game Over) https://t.co/J60ZYFfJXn pic.twitter.com/7dtwZJ9K4E
NBA Courtside: Rich Paul tells story of Ty Lue calling out LeBron during Game 7: “LeBron didn’t have the best half. But in the moment T Lue really challenge him in that locker room. I wasn’t in the locker room but T Lue told me and obviously LeBron told me that he challenge him and was like, Hey basically tell him I need more from you, like literally I need more from you…. I’m telling you right now Max, I really believe this if T Lue does not have that conversation with LeBron in that locker room and challenge him in that locker room. We don’t get the block.”
NBA Courtside: Rich Paul says he always viewed LeBron as the ‘People’s champ’ like Muhammad Ali: “If you win 1 time in Cleveland, there’s nothing else to be done… The idea of going back home and winning one. I always looked at LeBron to be more of what I would say the Peoples champ like Muhammad Ali was. Even when he lost I feel like people really embraced him.”
NBA Courtside: Kendrick Perkins believes Rich Paul is actually HURTING LeBron’s GOAT argument by his podcast takes: “This is where he has to stop. This is where he starts to hurt LeBron James GOAT case. This is where people start saying the ‘controlling of the narrative.’ You speaking on MJ and saying these things and it’s like ‘here go Rich Paul, LeBron’s guy to hype up his GOAT status.’ But it’s not hyping it up, it’s actually making it worse!”