Rich Paul sparked renewed debate around the Los Angeles Lakers and their championship outlook after publicly stating he does not view the team as a title contender, raising questions about whether the comments reflect broader sentiment tied to LeBron James.
During a recent episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, Paul reiterated his stance on Los Angeles, emphasizing that his view was not intended as criticism but as a realistic assessment of the current roster and competitive landscape.
“I still think, I’m not changing my take. I still don’t think that the Lakers are contenders,” Paul said. “I’m not saying it in a negative connotation. What I’m saying is, when you have the names like a LeBron and Luka. There’s going to be a championship….”
Host Max Kellerman acknowledged how such comments would be interpreted publicly, suggesting many would assume Paul was speaking on James’ behalf.
“People hearing this will think Rich Paul is being a mouthpiece for LeBron James,” Kellerman said. “Just to let everybody know we hang out, we talk all the time, and have for a long time. And this is Rich’s honest opinion about the Lakers.”
Paul maintained that the assessment was his own, but he continued by stressing the importance of organizational clarity, particularly with the trade deadline approaching.
“When you have that level of talent you still have a punchers chance,” Paul said. “Now as an organization you have to decide, what is this year going to be. That has to be or it should be communicated to, I’m not going to say the entire team, but it should be communicated to definitely your star guys, in terms of, hey we’re probably not going to be extremely active at the trade deadline for these reasons.”
Rich Paul urges clarity on Lakers’ trade deadline direction
While Paul denied that his remarks were meant as a message to the Lakers or delivered on James’ behalf, his comments suggested that a lack of communication regarding roster plans could create uncertainty at the top of the organization. Paul continues to represent James, which has fueled speculation that his remarks may reflect concerns shared privately, even if not explicitly stated.
The Lakers enter the week with a 22-11 record, positioning them third in the Western Conference standings. James, who recently turned 41, remains a central figure in Los Angeles’ success. Through 17 games, he is averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range in 33.4 minutes per game.
Los Angeles has also benefited from the production of Luka Dončić, who is averaging 33.7 points, 8.7 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc across 26 games.
The Lakers are set to open a two-game road trip Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans (8-29) before visiting the San Antonio Spurs (25-10) on Wednesday in a nationally televised matchup. As trade-deadline discussions loom, Paul’s comments have added another layer of intrigue to how Los Angeles defines its goals for the remainder of the season.
