LeBron distances himself from Rich Paul trade ideas about Austin Reaves

LeBron James distanced himself from trade ideas floated by his longtime agent Rich Paul about teammate Austin Reaves, Cbssports reported.

The comments came after James scored 31 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds in a 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. Paul had suggested trading Reaves to Memphis for Jaren Jackson Jr., and James said via ESPN, "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." He added that he and Reaves speak every day and that "AR knows how I feel about him."

ESPN reported Paul and Reaves' agent had a five-minute conversation on the court before Tuesday's game. The report noted that public perception keeps Paul closely linked to James, and that Paul now holds less power in the Lakers facility with just three clients left on the team; whether that will change how fans view Paul's public comments remains unclear.

Key Topics

Sports, Lebron James, Rich Paul, Austin Reaves, Jaren Jackson Jr, Los Angeles Lakers