“AR knows how I feel about him” - LeBron James clears the air on Austin Reaves trade talk after agent’s comments

In a recent development, LeBron James made it clear that he isn't influencing any rough decision after drawing attention from the comments his agent, Rich Paul, made about his teammate Austin Reaves on his podcast. James addressed the situation after almost delivering a historic triple-double in last Tuesday's game, after Paul suggested the idea of a trade that might happen.

On the podcast, Rich Paul suggested that the Lakers might be considering transferring Austin Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jaren Jackson Jr. And that comment quickly gained attention since Reaves is one of the Lakers’ fan-favorite players and also because of James’ on-court chemistry with him. However, James quickly said that he had nothing to do with Paul's suggestion and that the comment was purely Paul's idea.

LeBron James shuts down Austin Reaves trade speculation following Rich Paul’s podcast comments

Rich Paul made this claim about trading Austin Reaves during the "Game over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” podcast, suggesting that such a trade would allow a fresh new on-court presence to grow along with Luka Doncic. He made this claim, adding another important factor, that is, Reaves would be eligible for a five-year maximum contract extension, for a worth of $241 million, which Paul felt could heavily influence the Lakers’ financial decision in the near future.

Austin Reaves missed last Tuesday's game due to a calf injury, but he averaged around 26 points (approx.) in 23 games, per ESPN. After the game, LeBron James went on to talk about his relationship and the equation he shares with Reaves, saying, "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”, James told ESPN.

"AR knows how I feel about him. All you got to do is look at us on the bench. Me and AR talk every single day. So, AR knows how I feel about him and I hope AR — or his camp — don't look at me and think this is words from me are coming through Rich”, James added, emphasizing his connection with Reaves.

Lakers’ defense under scrutiny as Jaren Jackson Jr. trade speculation swirls

Even though the Lakers look strong this season after Tuesday's 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks and are in the fifth position in the Western Conference, their defense needs improvement, something that the Lakers’ head coach, JJ Reddick, pointed out. Thus, it is believed that adding a player like Jaren Jackson, who is a two-time NBA All-Star winner and is competing for the Defensive Player of the Year honor, those issues could be resolved. Thus, while from that perspective a trade seems quite logical, LeBron James made it clear that he had no role in suggesting the idea. Also Read: Remembering January 13: The day Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from the NBA