Klutch Sports, the sports agency run by LeBron James‘s agent and friend Rich Paul, is reportedly frustrated with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Multiple league sources inform Pincus that Klutch, which represents Los Angeles players James, Anthony Davis, and Talen Horton-Tucker, has grown agitated with Pelinka’s team-building after he opted not to send out underperforming $44.2MM point guard Russell Westbrook and a future Lakers first-round draft pick to the Rockets in exchange for inactive Houston point guard John Wall, currently netting a comparable salary of $44.3MM. Notably, Wall is a Klutch client, though Westbrook is not.
The 31-year-old Wall averaged 20.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.1 SPG in just 40 games for a lottery-bound 2020/21 Rockets team. He and the Rockets mutually agreed that he would sit this season. Though Westbrook, 33, has been mostly healthy this year while averaging 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 7.5 RPG, his struggles as a shooter, defender, and late-game decision-maker haven’t helped the 27-31 Lakers’ cause this season.
James certainly seems to have had an impact on L.A.’s choice to trade for Westbrook in the first place. Though Pelinka had been planning to make a trade with the Kings for shooting guard Buddy Hield, he eventually opted to make the deal for Westbrook after Westbrook met with James over the summer.
The embattled team is currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, a far cry from its anticipated standing when Pelinka traded for Westbrook during the 2021 offseason.
Pincus notes that James will become eligible to ink a two-year, $97.1MM contract extension with the Lakers on August 4 this year, that would keep him in Los Angeles through the 2024/25 NBA season. Should James and his representatives opt not to sign the extension, James would reach free agency in 2023. James is currently in the first season of a two-year, $85.7MM maximum-salary extension he signed with the Lakers ahead of 2020/21.
So rich Paul wanted the lakers to trade westbrook and a first round draft pick for one of his clients who hasn’t played basketball all season and now he’s upset the team didn’t do it.
Respectfully from a laker fan dude should F off. He doesn’t care about the future of the organization only what serves his self interest
Not to mention, GM Lebron is the reason they traded for Westbrook to begin with. Rich Paul & Lebron just wants Lakers to mortgage all of their future to suit their needs.
Now that Lebron is 37 and aging, Rich & Lebron need to get used to the fact that teams will not bend backwards to accomodate everything that they want
Rich Paul should get banned from the NBA. all his clients will try to force trades and take hostage teams with his tactics
Lol yeah John Wall might threaten to sit out to force a trade
I wouldn’t go as far as to ban him but it is nice to see teams standing up to them and not back down.
@Splash
Honestly…. dumbest comment I’ve ever heard. Or rather, a clear indication you just don’t get. AGENTS REPRESENT THEIR CLIENTS AND HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THRU ON THEIR WISHES, or quit. The tale (agent) doesn’t wag (control) the dog (athlete client). AD wanted out and he signed with Klutch so Paul could accomplish that and play the bad guy. AD is the boss. You holding him responsible is like holding a loaded gun responsible for what it’s owner does.
For the record, his biggest client, never demanded to be traded. Players dictate to the agent what to do.
Note: I have no idea what Paul has or hasn’t said regarding Westbrook for Wall. However, why would the Rockets, who a) just traded Westbrook for Wall, ever want him back when their purpose of trading for Westbrook was to match him with Harden and contend? b) Harden is no longer there and they’ve completely embraced a full rebuild which included the decision to sit Wall because his style of play (very similar in terms of ball usage and limited range is very similar to Westbrook) wasn’t in tune with developing Green and Porter Jr both playing the guard position. Seeing how much of a hissy fit Westbrook thru for being benched in the 4th how in the world would he react to being told he wasn’t going to start, assuming they’re still committed to letting the kids play and tanking? Why invite that drama into your locker room? c) Does Lebron REALLY want to stick his neck out that ANOTHER player was brought in, on his behalf) that could completely fail again? I don’t think he would feel comfortable suggesting Bronny’s college team to trade for Wall right now.
This rumor sounds mad fishy. Like Hunts Point in the Bronx on a hot summer night with a gentle breeze kind of fishy.
Now if it were true I would be very disappointed in Paul because that’s clearly inappropriate for him to tell or SUGGEST to Pelinka they should trade Westbrook for Wall, and certainly not something he should feel or voice anger towards for not doing it. That’s too involved.
How about contradicting yourself is a short span apeavy… You just claimed a team did bend over backwards for Lebron. Did they or not? Maybe Pelinka made the deal he wanted to, isn’t that also your claim?
Why oh why would ever Rich Paul care about the future of the LAL, does he owns them? Does he have stock in them? Surely not, Paul’s job is to further LBJ’s & his others clients careers, right?
I mean that would be the most stupid thing ever for an agent to care about a team, absolutely senseless, right?
its called being professional. teams will stop wanting to do business with Klutch Sports players if Rich Weasel Paul keeps trying to make players force trades and destroy teams futures. it worked with Lebron cause hes a one in a generation superstar but he wont hold that power much anymore. teams are better off ignoring him and shipping players to places they dont want to go
Teams can’t stop doing business with them. Look at the upcoming free agents, they have Zach Lavine, Colin Sexton, Daruis Garland, Miles Brodges, Montrez Harrell, Nurkic, Cory Joseph and that’s just guy that will be free agents this offseason.
@splash
Lebron has never left a team via a trade. So…ummm..yeah.. #facts
I believe it was a sign-n-trade. When he signed with Heat …..
link to nba.com
@Knickerbocker
That was done as a favor to the Cavs so they hit something in tekken (4 pics return. 4 picksxand trades exception. It also allowed Heat to acquire LBJ for 1 extra year. But it earned like he was under contract and demanded a trade. He could’ve just signed with the Heat.
Westbrook is 33, he looks like 50 years old
Lakers don’t need to talk trade with Celtics and Knicks
The only team that really like 50 years old player is Rockets
You talk to Rockets
Why should Rich Paul care about the Lakers organization?? His interest lies with his clients, as it should.
It’s unprofessional for Klutch sports to have this leak publicly, especially when it was his client that mainly was responsible for bringing Westbrook in.
Not even the HR writer making this claim, Alex Kirschenbaum, has a source to offer on this supposed abandonment of responsibility by Pelinki. Alex’s reasoning is limited to saying “James certainly seems to have had an impact on L.A.’s choice to trade for Westbrook in the first place”.
Says who?— someone who can think one level deeper (“in between the lines”) but then must stop, despite there being more levels to account for. Someone who uses counting stats to prove a point, not advanced stats. Someone who thinks Pelinki thinks that Lebron must be conceded charge of the franchise, bc why?— LJ is crucial to sign for another five years at max? (He is not).
The deal LJ made with EJ has long since ended— when EJ was abruptly fired.
This currant revelation is being put out there to get someone. It is plant, not a new revelation. What difference does it make IRL if Klutch is mad?
I am sure Lebron was asked, in the normal way a team’s top player is asked, if he can get along with this proposed new ego on the scene, Westbrook. Lebron probably said yes, but not as an equal unless there’s an injury (this was reported). But it was Pelinka fell for the trade. Pelinka may be the ultimate target here… With the firing blame going to Klutch… and easing the Lakers off of LJ… Just guessing.
Poor BRON BRON can’t get his way with another one of his mind numbing ridiculous trade request. What does he except playing on a team that goes to bed a 7:00 PM each night. A team that he built. Sorry BRON BRON but the days of you getting everything to satisfy your ego are OVER.
Time to go back to Cleveland.
I can pretty much guarantee Cleveland doesn’t want him back… Not at the expense of blowing up what they have now.
I can pretty much guarantee you ANY team would move heaven and earth to have LeBron on their team, including the Cavs. Regardless of their lone good season thus far, the Cavs aren’t anything special, yet. Lebron can and will change that.
I can pretty much bet any team WOULDN’T move Heaven and earth for this clown. Why would they? Mess up team chemistry? Listening to him babble on and on nightly about not winning? Wanting out at the first sign of trouble? See LeBron a.ways wanted to be the best thing is he lacked the Killer mentality that Michael and Kobe had. BRON BRON always had to his own posse the other 2 jsut said get out my way I will do it no matter who I play with.
You mean like Kobe whining that he wanted a trade until the Lakers got Gasol? No? Not like that?
@ Yep it is;
We have to understand that Lebron James has been pushing around owners, FO’s and coaches his entire professional career (as he did since he was 12 years-old – I’ve talked to people that coached him in Akron). He’s gotten his high school buddy to start an agency and Paul does the same thing. Now Lebron is talking about going back to Cleveland in 3 or so years to play with his so there. At present his son is in high school, ranked 47th in the country. Who knows if the kid will even make the pros? Let alone that the Cavs would be the team getting him.
Lebron has a history of demanding that teams load up so he can win a championship. He’s get them to go over the salary cap, trade away their future draft choices, and when the clock strikes 12 he leaves for another team if they’ll do the same. In turn, his past team spend years in the cellar, and their fans lose interest in basketball.
Philly / Morey stood up to this. As for Lebron going to Cleveland in 3 or so years – by then IF they are truly championship contenders, the players they have under contract will be making very good money and their payroll will already be over the salary cap. And of course Lebron says he will not accept a “hometown discount”. The only way the Cavs could take him on would be to trade off a couple of their players to fit his salary in. Then he’d show up and be the ball hog he’s always been. As even his star teammates have said: “He’s difficult to play with”. In short, Lebron James attitude, ego, and attempt to control everything around him is the antithesis of what the Cavs have built. Only if they’re in the doldrums would they want him back (as a crowd pleaser).
@Samuel quite the long winded comment, but no he never said anything about going back to Cleveland to play with Bronny he just said the door wasn’t closed on going back to Cleveland when some reporter asked him if he would. Couldn’t very well say “Hell no!” Could he? Then he said he’d do what ever he’d need to okay his last season with Bronny, that’s all. End of story.
@ Tacocat1331;
Read the ESPN story.
Don’t want to be “long winded”…..you know, explain why I wrote what I wrote. Everything in life can be covered in a 280 characters. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity be explained to your generation in probably half that.
I’m most likely older or in the same generation.
False inside knowledge. His first HS coach was fired bc of previous incidents at Ashland wich caused him to be seen as a negative father figure. A teammmate’s father was hired instead. This was done on LJ’s behalf, not by LJ. IMO, The old trend of making sure LJ got the right father figure plagued LJ, not saved him.
Samuel is a bitter man. (The return of poster Swanson?)
@ x%sure;
Not bitter. Stating facts.
Example – When Lebron was told to go with the forwards in practice (from the time he was 12), he ignored them and went with the guards because he wanted to bring the ball up. Fast forward ahead – when Lebron went to the pros he was getting beat up as a forward because he hadn’t developed the footwork necessary to play the position. After his first few years he had to hire a coach in the offseason to teach him what he should have learned growing up.
Going back a bit – because he was a child wonder all coaches knew he could advance their careers, and he knew they knew. So he did want he wanted and they let him. He got a scholarship to his high school, and in turn spent study hall time playing video games in a separate room from the students whose families paid tuition (apparently it’s a very good school). In turn he’s been quite generous in donating and raising money for the school to upgrade their facilities over the years, as well as create and expand a magnet school for inner-city children.
Sorry to be “long winded” here, but what I’m feeding you came from people I know from that area. Life is not black and white, good and bad. The fact is that Lebron James’ attitude was developed growing up – the same as most of us. He’s done some miraculous things both on and off the court. However, he’s affected the way teams are built and run in the NBA, and has a history of intervening in the domains of ownership, the FO people, his coaches and his teammates – in turn affecting how the NBA is run. He’s nearing the end of his career, and slowly the roles and responsibilities of NBA actors are going back to their job descriptions….and the franchises doing that are winning.
Lol what “killer instinct”? The same Jordan who couldn’t lead his teams to a winning record and couldn’t get out of the first round without Pippen? The same Jordan who won his titles in the watered down, expansion era 90s? That Jordan?
Well, he’s not doing it with AD and RW, so I’m not so sure a team would mortgage itself for a 37 year old player, who while is still a solid/top player, doesn’t have much juice left in that squeeze. Before he carried teams by himself, now he can’t do it with arguably one of the best centers and a PG who still puts up numbers.
Won’t have to blow up anything. He barely makes more than K Love.
Indeed. Trade Love plus less than 3 million salary filler for Lebron and it works. It would work before next years trade deadline. In off-season it would be more difficult to do a sign and trade.
How old the team is right now and how Wall will ,not make them any better why would they trade a future 1st round that will probably be a lottery pick. It would be different if you were talking a player that makes them a championship team but Wall doesn’t. Keep the pick.
Trade Le Bron for picks and cap space.Better to trade value while it exist before it’s too late.I’m honestly so tired of him complaining and whinnying his arse off.As a Laker fan it’s embarking to watch game after game& play after play.We traded Shaq so why not trade LeBron
Isn’t LeGM the reason they got Westbrook in the first place? Now he’s mad they wouldn’t ship out a first round pick to “fix” his mistake (“fix” being in quotes because why should Pelinka believe LeGM’s judgment would be better this time around?) Good for Pelinka. This team is not winning a title with or without making that move (might not even make the playoffs) and LeGM will be long gone in 2027.
How dare Pelinka make LeBron lie in the bed he made himself? Lol. Why does Klutch think they run the league all of a sudden?
Remember when LeBron was GM of the Cavs and gave Tristan Thompson (who’s also Klutch sports represented) just shy of a max deal? How did that work out?
Also the lakers are going to be a bottom dweller in the next couple of years when LeBron is LeGone. Trading a first round pick that will probably be a lottery pick for a chance to move up to about the 7 seed would not be smart for the lakers to do.
Don’t care. We were a bottom feeder without LeBron. I’ll take the title
@bigeasy
How did that work out? He had the highest FG% on the team, 2nd in rebounds to Love by 14 rebounds and did the dirty work in the finals which they won. Was he overpaid? of course. does any Cavs fan upset over a bloated salary cap team that won a chip? heck no. you guys act like you get extra points for winning but staying under the cap.
I think Klutch needs to direct their frustration in the other direction.Expecting a 1st for a guy they don’t even want is ridiculous.And while Wall might’ve been a better fit,that’s not guaranteed.He’s a guy with a injury history that has sat cold all year,there’s alot of risk there.And the Lakers record and age says seller more than buyer,they should’ve been shopping all of the veteran guys they brought in to help the big 3 for whatever 2nd rd picks they could’ve got back.
Rich Paul is a D Bag
Also Adele’s music sucks haha
So do you haha
I would guess the feeling is mutual.
It’s no secret why Russ is in LA, and even people (such as myself) who thought there was some logic to a Russ-Wall sequel swap believed that giving up a future 1st was probably too high a price.
But this is classic LeBron—things are going poorly and these “leaks” start surfacing. But in this instance it’s totally absurd—giving up the 1st now for Wall would just cripple LA this summer, when they might actually be able to make a substantial move.
That’s what you get when you let players run the team. Lakers only have themselves to blame. Let’s face it they are done. The Bron window is shut.
They lucked out on a Virus yr. They took full advantage, so good for them. But now comes mediocrity for yrs. Unless they get bold and take team back. Trade away AD and Bron. He’s talking Cavs, say goodbye now. Move them both while they still have value.
Klutch Sports my Aaa …….
The Lakers should trade both James and Davis after the season. Not out of spite but it’s the only chance they have to be relevant for the next 5-7 years. If they allow the two of them to play out their contracts and get nothing in return the will be screwed. James came here because this is where he wanted the next act of his life to be. Had nothing to do with Magic or the Lakers Cost us nothing. Brought us a championship. Now it’s time to wring out the value out of him. This team can’t win with its current roster this or next season.
@knick been saying that for two weeks. James brought us a championship. Cost us nothing. Time to wring the value out of both him and Davis. If they don’t trade them and allow the two of them to play out their contracts the Lakers will not be relevant for years.
The 2020 team would have won the Championship at Staples, Disneyworld or on the moon. They were they good, had great chemistry and had the power of Kobe
@implant all good except the last part about Kobe, they had the power of LeBron. Kobe is a legend but he had nothing to do with that.
I was in the building up until the pandemic started. It’s hard to explain and does sound a little far fetched but the they were not going to come up short. His spirit hung over that team
Hopefully Rob rented a house in LA, and didn’t buy. Lol.
In all seriousness though, this is the report that should have came out before the Westbrook trade- the one where Rob says no, we’re trading for Hield and LBJ can be mad. Now it’s a disaster, and it’s hard to say who is right and wrong
Klutch still has a strong influence but it looks real bad on their part with this Lakers rumor and the previous Ben Simmons situation.
Silver needs to end this Klutch nonsense yesterday. Who runs the league? Otherwise what the hell do you even do Adam?
It was a bad idea by Lebron. But i blame General Manager Rob Pelinka he’s supposed to be the decision maker. This is what happens when you have a inexperienced General Manager. A Pat Riley or Jerry West would have looked at the big picture and made the right decision not to bring Westbrook in. So until the Lakers get a bonified General Manager, their will be more blunders!!!!
Tamper, tamper. If the Rich guy is the best friend of the leagues star player can’t he speak for him? Having watched Godfather I and II something doesn’t sit right here and it would seem the biggest lies are the ones made in front of others faces
How dare Pelinka go against his LeGM and his sports agency.
The Lakers should trade both James and Davis after the season. Not out of spite but it’s the only chance they have to be relevant for the next 5-7 years. If they allow the two of them to play out their contracts and get nothing in return the will be screwed. James came here because this is where he wanted the next act of his life to be. Had nothing to do with Magic or the Lakers Cost us nothing. Brought us a championship. Now it’s time to wring out the value out of him. This team can’t win with its current roster this or next season.
Nah, not at all. They’re the Lakers they’ll just sign Trae and KAT in a couple years and win a few more. It’s been the same for 50 years. The Lakers don’t need to build, they just buy.
Have you forgotten how no one would sign with them until James came on board.
Trade LeBron,he has zero loyalty.Dude is a big mouth cry baby who constantly complains to the refs.I’m a Laker fan for life and I don’t like LeBrons act anymore.He has value now,but does he have value in 2 yrs?Thanx for coming,goodbye.No statue,No uniform number retired.Just he played a few yrs and contributed to a championship.
It all starts with the trade for Westbrook. That was and has been a horrible trade. He can’t shoot and needs to be on a team where he can be the ONLY man. Lakers needed a or multiple shooters yet they opted for a big name with a gigantic. Salary. Now no one will take him and the lakers are stuck. AD lives in the hospital. They need to find a way to trade both and start over.
Bron is running team as much as GM. So you reap what you sow. Own it.
I agree, I would move AD and Bron. Westbrook contract comes off after one yr. So it’s a win win.
The headline is comical. Agent frustrated that a FO isn’t making certain personnel moves, not directly involving a client of his on the team? That Klutch feels it can put this out there speaks to either Pelinka’s unpopularity among the fanbase and media, or their mindset about the expected parameters governing FO – agent/player relationships, or both. In any event, the owners need to get in a room with Silver and figure out how to reset some expectations, because it’s coming off the rails.
Clutch =Lebron, doesn’t anyone realize that?
Sounds like a whole lot of conflict of interest for a player to be lobbying the team for trades that will benefit the player’s business.
But the argument is worthy of merit.
Westbrook has not been the problem there. He’s not a spot up shooter, for Bron to outlet to. Never has been, Lakers do not let Westbrook play his game. Its sad to watch. So if they still, after the majority of the season is behind them, won’t use one of the best, high pace, ball in hand, guards in the game, have the ball in his hand, with pace, then they should have traded him, if they had the chance.
AD has been soft all year. He ain’t in it to win it and 37 year old Bron can’t carry irrelevant teams to relevance anymore.
Post AS break will be much the same as Pre AS break for the Lakers.