Over the past couple of months, there have been reports that some people in LeBron James' camp, particularly agent Rich Paul, are trying to dictate to Los Angeles Lakers management what they want to happen in order to keep the superstar happy. For veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, that's not the case.
Or at least, that's not the way he sees Rich Paul.
In an interview with Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, Rajon Rondo said that Paul is not the kind of guy who wants to control anything, adding that he's had a lot of conversations with the agent and that he believes Rich is a good guy.
“He wasn't around that much. I'm not a fool, but he doesn't have a dominant personality; he's not, ‘Look at me.' He's super chill. We've had a lot of conversations. I didn't see him as a threat or controlling anything at all.”
LeBron, who signed a four-year deal with the Lakers last year, failed to lead the team to the playoffs. During that span, there has been speculation about his camp asking the Purple and Gold management to replace now-fired head coach Luke Walton. Highlighting those rumors was Paul allegedly asking the league office to intervene, as the Lakers (at that time) didn't seem to have interest in parting with the young coach.
Moreover, the Lakers don't seem to be viewed as a franchise that bends to LeBron's demands. That is reportedly one of the reasons why they chose to hire Frank Vogel instead of James' former coach Tyronn Lue as Walton's replacement.
As the power struggle within the Lakers organization continues, it is worth noting that free agency is less than a month away. If they will not be able to resolve all their internal issues by July, they may find it hard to convince top-tier free agents to join the franchise.