The Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade took everyone by surprise. It was the move heard around the world, yet no one had a hint of it until Rob Pelinka pulled the trigger. “I was shocked.” AD said, who heard the news while he was chilling at home, about to watch a movie with his wife. Even LeBron James’ initial reaction was to think that it was a hoax. Completely blindsided, James revealed that his “emotions were all over the place.”
But for a move of this magnitude to go down, surely Davis’ agent Rich Paul had to know. Right? Turns out, even he was kept in the dark, as he stated in an interview following the trade, “This one was a shock. And again, the timing of it was a shock, who was involved was a shock.” However, what didn’t surprise the veteran agent was Nico Harrison’s interest in AD, “The destination was not a shock, just based upon the relationship. AD has been someone that Nico has coveted since he got the job, so that’s not a shock to me.”
So, while LeBron and rest of the hoop community was still processing the move, Paul embraced it with open arms. As the Klutch Sports founder recently appeared on Chris Haynes’ podcast, the veteran insider revealed an incident that highlighted Paul’s happiness following the Davis trade. “The Luka-AD trade, I remember when the trade just happened and you were in Dallas, you sent me a photo of you wearing a cowboy hat.” Haynes said, laughing hysterically.
Paul responded, “Yeah, I had to embrace my Dallas people man. And my Lucchese boots. I went to Wild Bills. They treated me great in Wild Bills.” Yes, although Davis’ departure from LA stung, the agent immediately shifted focus to the superstar’s new destination. “Listen, AD’s first game I had to embrace my Dallas people man.” He added. Moreover, Paul is planning on visiting the city again, “I’m going back. We had the Dallas Cowboys first pick in the draft this year. Booker man, they got a great one. We had five guys going to first round, seven in the Top 50 man. So, Imma be back in Dallas and see those guys. Yeah, I’m going to have my cowboy hat on too.” While he made his plans clear for the summer, Paul will likely have a bigger concern to worry about – LeBron’s future!
Rich Paul highlights Lakers’ harsh reality as LeBron James’ future becomes uncertain after first-round exit
Well, Paul has already seen one of his clients move out of LA this year in Anthony Davis. Soon, he could be looking at another. His biggest one in fact – LeBron. Yes, the Timberwolves shattered the Lakers’ title dream by dominating them in the first round and sending them packing in just five games. Now, LeBron has a decision to make over the summer. He has a $52.6 million player option for next season, and reports suggest that he would not take a pay cut to help Pelinka build a better roster.
LeBron James
Meanwhile, Rich clearly stated that this year’s roster was simply not good enough to win. “I just really didn’t think that the roster for the Lakers was anywhere close to a championship-type roster, you know? And that’s not making excuses. It’s just a fact.” He said on Haynes’ podcast. Further highlighting the Lakers’ harsh reality, the agent said, “It’s very hard to build a team for today and tomorrow… You’ve got to have assets. You’ve got to have cap flexibility. You’ve got to have draft capital.”
Of course, this message puts Pelinka in a tough situation. Because if LeBron stays, he takes up one-third of the team’s payroll for next season, limiting their options of roster building. And if he leaves, the Lakers will have to completely revamp their roadmap and focus on building around Luka Doncic. Even Pelinka understands the stakes, “I think LeBron’s gonna have high expectations for the roster, and we’re gonna do everything we can to meet those.” So, Paul’s message could be a warning for the Lakers front office to figure out a strategy before LeBron makes his final decision to determine his future. The clock is ticking!
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