Player agent Rich Paul will once again raise a lot of eyebrows after his latest bold take regarding the NBA.
Paul, who represents Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, has grabbed attention since launching his podcast with former ESPN host Max Kellerman, with many pointing out the conflict of interest.
On the latest episode of “Game Over,” Paul made his true feelings known about having a so-called Big Three in the NBA.
“I just think, we talk about the Big Three, right? The Big Three has evolved. The Big Three is not three big-name players. Today’s Big Three is president/general manager, coach, and star player in the NBA. That’s where the Big Three is focused on. When you have that, it kind of spreads throughout the rest of the team,” said Paul.
While having a star-studded trio has long been part of the league, it came to the forefront, albeit negatively, in 2010 when James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. They won two championships.
Now, the 41-year-old James has a talented troika with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the Lakers.
Paul said he is willing to trade a team's second-best player for a “great team president” and the third-best player for a “great coach.”
“First of all, it depends on who the second-best player is. If the second-best player could be the first-best player, like a (Jayson) Tatum or (Jaylen) Brown, then the answer to that is no. But if the second-best player is not an All-NBA-caliber player, then the answer is yes,” explained Paul.
Paul ruffled some feathers in January when he said the Lakers should trade Reaves to improve their roster.
James, who has been with Paul's Klutch Sports since 2012, distanced himself from the remark.
