LeBron Breaks Silence, Rebukes Agent Rich Paul’s Shocking Austin Reaves Trade Proposal—What’s Really Behind the Rift?

So, here we are again—talk of an explosive trade proposal rattling the NBA grapevine, this time sparked by none other than LeBron James’ own agent spinning the idea that the Lakers might swing a deal with Memphis for their standout defender Jaren Jackson Jr., sending beloved Austin Reaves to the Grizzlies. Now, don’t get it twisted—LeBron quickly put some space between himself and those comments when chatting with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, underlining that Rich Paul’s words aren’t a direct mirror of his own thoughts. But deep down, there’s a pulse here—teams are circling Jackson like hawks, especially if Memphis starts reconfiguring after hearing offers around Ja Morant. Memphis, though, doesn’t seem ready to hit the reset button just yet, betting on their core group with JJJ at the helm. Meanwhile, the Lakers, freshly turbocharged by the Luka Doncic gift, know they need a beast in the paint—someone like Jackson who can lock down opponents and open lanes on offense. And yes, Austin Reaves? He’s earned a fat raise and a starting spot in LA hearts, making his departure a tough pill to swallow unless the price is outlandish. So, while the chatter is loud, expect Reaves to rock that purple and gold again next season and Jackson to hold down Memphis with pride. LEARN MORE

LOS ANGELES — It all started on a recent episode of the Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul podcast, when the agent — LeBron James’ agent — suggested the Lakers should talk to Memphis about a trade for All-Star and DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr., with Los Angeles sending fan favorite Austin Reaves to Tennessee.

LeBron distanced himself from that on Tuesday, speaking to Dave McMenamin of ESPN as he left the arena.

“I think you all know by now, Rich is his own man and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me and how I feel. And I hope people know that. I hope people know that and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.”

There are a number of teams that have their eyes on Jaren Jackson Jr., and if Memphis might make him available in the wake of a Ja Morant trade. To this point, the Grizzlies are shooting down all those inquiries, league sources have told NBC Sports. The perception from other teams is that the Grizzlies are not ready to tear this thing down to the studs and rebuild. They believe they have a good supporting group led by JJJ, and if they can land another star, they could be right back in the mix in the West.

LeBron has to distance himself from the comments for locker room reasons, but Rich Paul is right. The Lakers are retooling their roster after Luka Doncic was gifted to them, and with that they need an elite two-way center who sets strong screens and can roll hard to the rim. Jackson fits that bill, plus he can do more on offense. He would be a fantastic fit for the Lakers, and if the price were Reaves (likely with an unprotected first-round pick) they should jump at it.

The reality is Jackson is not available, and this summer Reaves is going to get a much-deserved massive raise. He has played at an All-Star level when healthy and shown he can carry the offense while Doncic is out. Reaves is a fan favorite, loves playing in Los Angeles and the Lakers should not consider trading him unless the return is just too good to pass up. That’s unlikely, which is why next season we will almost certainly see Reaves still in a Lakers’ uniform and Jackson in Grizzlies colors.