Rich Paul has just floated a massive trade idea that would completely change the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul represents LeBron James and is one of the most powerful agents in sports. He suggested that the Lakers should trade fan favorite Austin Reaves to the Memphis Grizzlies. In exchange the Lakers would try to get star defender Jaren Jackson Jr. to help protect the rim.
The Lakers are currently focused on building their long-term future around Luka Doncic. Paul believes that Jaren Jackson Jr. would be the perfect partner to play alongside Luka because of his elite defense. However he admitted that getting a former Defensive Player of the Year would be very expensive. The Lakers would likely have to give up more than just Reaves to make the deal happen.
Austin Reaves is set to become a free agent very soon and will likely ask for a huge pay raise. Paul argued that the Grizzlies would be the perfect team to give Reaves the big contract he deserves. He even suggested that Reaves could become the main star and leading scorer for Memphis. This move would help the Lakers manage their budget while giving Reaves a chance to lead his own team.
Many Lakers fans are not happy with this suggestion because they love Reaves and his underdog story. Critics have pointed out that Jaren Jackson Jr. is a great defender but struggles with rebounding. Some people even think it is strange for LeBron’s agent to be publicly talking about trading away a teammate. This has led to a lot of heated debates on sports talk shows and social media.
The Grizzlies might be open to a deal because they are considering a fresh start for their franchise. There are rumors that they might move on from their own star players to begin a rebuild. Adding a consistent and hard-working player like Reaves could be a great way to start that process. Meanwhile the Lakers are feeling the pressure to win another title before LeBron decides to retire.
This trade talk comes at a very tense time for the Lakers as they try to keep their spot in the playoffs. The team has been struggling on defense and they clearly need more help in the paint. Whether the team actually listens to Rich Paul remains to be seen but his comments have definitely put everyone on notice. The trade deadline is approaching fast and fans are waiting to see if a blockbuster deal is actually coming.
