Rich Paul on Lakers offseason: ‘LeBron is a free agent .. focus should be on AD’ | NBA | UNDISPUTED

Rich Paul on Lakers offseason: ‘LeBron is a free agent .. focus should be on AD’ | NBA | UNDISPUTED

zero zero% zero okay I don’t I don’t believe LeBron James is going anywhere skipping Rich Paul’s doing what Rich Paul supposed to do he’s the agent he represents not only Anthony Davis he also represent LeBron James and a host of other high-profile NBA players so for him to say that LeBron’s a free agent he’s not a lying he is a free agent well he has the option he has the option you he hasn’t opted out yet well I mean he he should he’s a free agent let’s just say that if he opt in he’s still a free AG right Paul so when when he goes on Rich Paul goes on to say they should focus in on Anthony Davis that that that’s true he’s not lying about that but Anthony Davis is 31 years old Anthony Davis is not gonna play everybody’s not playing a 40 years old like LeBron James that’s a fact so if you’re saying Anthony Davis is your future what is that future is it two years is it three years four five 10 what what are you what are you envisioning when you say focus in on Anthony Davis and so when I look at the JJ reic situation Anthony Davis is going to have some say to that as well so rich Paul could be possibly speaking to hey talk to that man don’t talk to LeBron about it because LeBron only got a few more years you should be focusing in on what Anthony Davis feels about JJ reick being hired whether LeBron signs off sign off on it or not okay because Anthony or whether he suggested it or not or whether or not suggested it or not you you Anthony Davis is going to be there for hopefully more years Beyond LeBron and if that’s the case he’s the the Catalyst to your team’s future you want to have a conversation with him you want to focus in on what he wants what type of players do you build around him that’s and I and I think that’s what Rich Paul is saying but as far as being a man look LeBron ain’t going nowhere I get it they do this every single year when his contract is up they take their time they go on vacations they live their life you they enjoy the fruits of Labor everything that LeBron has created they enjoy all of that and then they come back and they stay with the team it just that’s just this is not Cleveland this is not Miami it’s Los Angeles and if you leave the bag at the door at the Lakers front door and you walk away it’s probably not you just don’t want that you don’t you don’t want that you know you just don’t so I don’t see him anywhere to me to say that the maker should focus probably more on Anthony Davis that says that gives me like a little small crack in the window that LeBron probably could go somewhere it’s a 5% for me it’s 5% it’s 5% I wouldn’t say zero but 5% zero and that 5% is like the only destination I see and I’ve been seeing saying this is Cleveland is the only thing I think maybe can happen you know it’s where he grew up where he won a title also where he can possibly Envision Cleveland could pick bronnie at the 17th slot that’s where they pick and Bron can go there and play for one year so when they say don’t focus on him F the focus should be more on Anthony Davis I think that’s leaving the door open that LeBron could go somewhere so and to say that LeBron has no he doesn’t have any say in what’s going on clearly he does I mean JJ reick wouldn’t be a candidate and he didn’t I mean we all know that we all know that and so and then we’re talk about an extended interview I mean I mean the L Lakers are running out of options and if you want Bri there you want him to be comfortable and so he’s going to look at his choices like do I want to play with bronnie in Cleveland do I want to play with bronnie in La I don’t think he uproot his family you know for for a year or two just to say I want to go to Cleveland so 5% which is a low percentage and I think the Lakers will do they’ll do what LeBron wants I mean I think he had he’s gonna opt out he’s going to sign a three-year he’s GNA they’re gonna pick up bronny they’re going to hire JJ reick I mean if they’re going to do all the things you’re asking for why would you go anywhere so I think this is all a done deal this is just Rich clutch plan chess as usual yeah you know this this extension will make LeBron the fourth highest play player in basketball so why go anywhere and I believe he’ll be a Laker all right I’m going to go with Paul on 5% except mine’s going to be a minus 5% I’m I’m a minus minus 5% chance minus 5% minus five there is no way even though every time you do the Cleveland scenario I like it I like the Ring of it has that story book story ending you know the fairy tale ending I I get that they can get another movie out of it is what you’re seeing a part two they can get a part two they could and obviously that’s still in his heart akaran and he did show up the other day at at the C go to the game it might be something lo I got it and Cleveland has pieces they they got pieces and I don’t know maybe he he’s choosing the new coach in Cleveland who knows T in the East more so than the West right now all right but here’s the point Rich Paul he he’s masterful at what he does but he’s a master media manipulator and I’ve seen stories last night of places LeBron could go Cleveland Oklahoma City blah blah blah you know all these and I’m like what San Antonio no no no he’s not he’s not going to Oklahoma City he’s not going to San Antonio there might be a tiny percent chance that he would go to Cleveland but I don’t see it because of all the things kesan has brought up and I brought up ad na him on this show he lives here now he’s got two places here and they are beautiful cuz this is the best place to live in the country and his family loves it here and his wife clearly loves it here and his his next career is based here so it’s just hard for him to uproot even if this happened to be he a younger son playing high school basketball and by all accounts his younger son could be better than is by all accounts that that’s that’s what I keep hearing I I have not watched him but I I hear The Whispers look out for the second one okay so to me that there’s some that they’re trying to create a little new leverage with the Lakers which they don’t really need and to me as we speak jeie bus and Rob pelinka are somewhere chuckling over all this because they just don’t think LeBron’s going anywhere and now to ad okay should should he sign off first on JJ reic well listen we’ve all talked about this ad is more of a follower than a leader and what LeBron says is gold to him because he he you know he he believes heart and soul in what LeBron believes in so if LeBron tells him JJ is the answer well then ad’s just going to sign off on JJ right I agree with you okay so again is is does JJ have some potential to be a head coach it’s almost unknowable because he’s got no zero background at all and you keep pointing out about Pat Riley he was on the I didn’t point out I didn’t point out about Pat Riley they the on said it I’m just giving some context to the story well I I do think there’s some similarities what they dress the same no they just look they’re both media genic you know they’re they’re good they got nice dark hair yeah and they’re good on television both of them are good on were good on TV yep and Pat Riley was really good on TV and radio and so they knew Jerry bus was a ring master and a super salesman and and he liked that Pat could talk to the media and be very convincing well so can JJ because he’s very good heard him the other night okay you hear him tonight right okay so in in the end LeBron will be a Laker bronny will be a Laker ad will do whatever LeBron says and I don’t know to to me it feels like he I know Rachel Nichols keeps saying be careful on this it might only be one more year but it it feels like it could be three more years to I don’t I don’t know that I don’t know that it’ll be just one year and and to the Pat Riley situation those skip he had Magic Johnson at 21 years old and cap and and cap yeah not LeBron James at 40 this isn’t LeBron James at 21 LeBron James at 40 so it’s a whether JJ’s got bench experience as a assistant coach understanding what how to do things and the Huddle or how to delegate to his assistants or not he got a 40e old LeBron James yeah he does have a different but he’s got a 31y old ad who made first team all defense okay yes he does he he he does but look I don’t care who they hire at this point just hire somebody man because I’m tired of talking about it to be honest with I mean this is a good long word long term play you know why because I I do when I really start thinking about the situation let’s just say LeBron comes back for a three-year deal and he plays one if they’re not in contention next year and LeBron retires I could see them trading ad and going to a full rebuild now you got a bright young coach who can learn the ropes of coaching so this looks like a great long-term play yeah you know they if they know they’re not going to win a championship in the next year or two like you said like you said he not going to play till 40 like LeBron he’s 31 but when we’ve burned years we didn’t have two of the top 10 players in the NBA when we burn years as the Lakers when we burn them Kobe years and and here’s the money coob just do your deal we didn’t have two top 10 players smoos Parker yeah we was messing around with like uh the machine and smos Parker then come on man stop now we in a situation play team we was in the Western Conference Final two seasons ago though Paul we still have H and continue to get older you’re continuing to get older yes but this is not a farewell tour we’re not getting ready to treat it that way it looks like it you we’re notat you drive bronnie it looks like a farewell tour I mean you’re not putting any pieces that says they’re trying to win a championship well we haven’t had a chance to put the pieces together the free agency hasn’t even started so who the season is still going on we can’t trade for nobody yet let’s see how it happens before we start to say oh well we could trade ad in two years and LeBron can retire we don’t know what’s going to happen we may be able to sign Demar de ro hell we may be able to trade for Donovan Mitchell we don’t know yet we have no idea correct that’s all I’m saying let’s just don’t start giving me all this bad vibes no I’m just I’m just hypothetically speaking just like you so Paul remember last year the Los Angeles Lakers did win the first ever inseason tournament against a completely healthy Indiana that’s what this is about they back theyton they they going back to back that one skip see skip trying to be slick and slide it in no they going back to back that playton was actually healthy he played in that game as opposed to what again right yeah we might win it again we’ll take it and we’ll raise the Second Battle why not that’s what they want us to do they didn’t ask the Celtics to go win it no no now did they they didn’t ask the Celtics ra they didn’t ask the ra those batters they didn’t ask the Celtics to ra the they said the most popular team cleeks the most popular team in the NBA we need y’all to help get this thing off the ground the Los Angeles Lakers get this thing off the ground cuz they promoting it they wanted to be successful no this is this is gonna be a great year because you gonna have the Lakers win the End season tournament and the Celtics win the NBA champ that that’s good for the league that’s good I got the script he here it is yeah there you go there going be a lot of people really watching the Celtics yeah I got the script I I just want to say to Laker Nation please don’t start tweeting and posting about please don’t leave LeBron because he ain’t leaving don’t this is like some sympathy play here like oh you better care I don’t I don’t I don’t see him leaving it’s just it’s hard for me to know his big picture with him his family his kids and what they want to do Beyond basketball and they need some people to sign off on what they want to do Beyond basketball and if you alienate individuals that got the power to sign off on you wanting to do those things they can rally the other troops not to sign off on you to want to do those things so so your final point is if you walk away from a Laker bag it can tarnish you forever is that it it it could it could get in the way of you want team yeah to own an NBA team oh okay it can get in the way regardless if you are you know they got a side off you know those other owners you know they all you know you know how they go think so I don’t think so I look here’s what I’m going say before we give it to skip to go pay some bills I understand what you’re saying because it’s LeBron freaking James he’s bigger than big but them owners they got to sign off on you owning the team it ain’t just it ain’t just because you LeBron we just gonna give you the team you you you still got to get their approval okay and if you leave this it’s certain gatekeeper owners and there’s not many of them there’s only probably like three or four the rest of them their opinion don’t matter I’m telling you you don’t think Genie’s opinion matters Genie’s does of course that’s say she’s one of she one of the main people and if you why would she hold a grudge if you don’t take the Laker back for one he’s brought a title back to LA he did he brought a title he came and did wanted him to do you looking at it like I would look at it from a player standpoint now I want you to look at it from a business standpoint and how they think just a business standpoint he’s done everything for the Lakers he can I mean he he can possibly win one more Championship yeah but he but the simple fact he got him one oh so it’s a real Championship now it’s a Mickey Mouse but it’s okay yes Mickey Mouse you know it’s a championship it still says Championship man I’m just saying you can believe me or not believe me it it would leave a sour taste we’re not saying retire Paul think about what I’m saying saying leave leaving you just going I’m going after you fired the coach you left me with another coach left Dan Gilbert he left Pat Riley he can leave the Lakers I’m not saying he can’t I’m just saying you’re dealing with an owner now you don’t think so you tell me Dan Gilbert gonna help him when it comes time to sign off you think he gonna really say yeah give you why wouldn’t he why wouldn’t he okay he wanted he came back I just he came back all the tension that was built up and and they had on the breakup so w’t he trading Jonathan Mitchell then no not see but he ain’t gonna trade him Don Mitchell but he I know but that would happen in La that he he he would benefit from LeBron and Cleveland obviously so kesan you’re I think you’re suggesting that the Los Angeles Lakers are the Beall and the endall in the NBA no I’m not not necessarily but I just know how these owners operate that’s all I don’t think I didn’t say retire a Laker I’m saying you you we’ have fired a coach we have done all this we wouldn’t go on a bad note this is not this is not leaving on a bad note all right I mean but you couldn’t hold it against him for going home for third time’s the charm I I agree all right thanks for watching Undisputed fans do you want more highlights from the show make sure to click that subscribe button for all the exclusive content from Undisputed

Skip Bayless, Paul Pierce and Keyshawn Johnson react to Rich Paul’s comments about LeBron James’ future, saying that “[he] is a free agent” and that the Los Angeles Lakers’ “focus should be on AD.”

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Rich Paul on Lakers offseason: ‘LeBron is a free agent .. focus should be on AD’ | NBA | UNDISPUTED

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