Rich Paul, longtime agent and close confidant of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, recently shut down rumors that the 40-year-old legend wields unchecked power over front office decisions, citing the infamous Russell Westbrook trade as a clear example. Despite widespread speculation throughout James’ illustrious 22-year career, Paul insists that LeBron does not “run the team” or orchestrate major moves like some believe.
Rich Paul Says LeBron Clearly Doesn’t Run The Los Angeles Lakers
“There’s things that transpired that he didn’t even know about, so how is he running the team?” Paul said on The Rich Eisen Show. Referring specifically to the Westbrook trade, Paul emphasized, “He did not make that trade, and I know that for a fact.” The move, which brought Westbrook to the Lakers in 2021 and ended in disappointment, has often been unfairly attributed to James. Yet, Paul made it clear that input and influence are very different from decision-making authority.
“There’s one thing to have power and influence, and there are guys who earned the right for some decisions to be ran past you or for some teams to say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’” Paul explained. “We can’t confuse someone asking a player for an opinion and that being the decision that’s being made.” He added that players are typically not involved in the detailed diligence front offices undertake before making major roster changes.
LeBron’s relationship with Lakers management has long been the subject of intense scrutiny. While he’s unquestionably one of the most powerful and respected players in NBA history—with 21 All-Star nods and multiple All-NBA selections—Paul’s remarks dispel the notion that James operates as the Lakers’ unofficial general manager.
The Lakers are coming off a season highlighted by a blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic and a No. 3 seed finish in the Western Conference. The roster still requires upgrades to reach title-contender status in 2025-26, but Paul stressed that decisions are made independently by the front office, not James. “I think that — and I can say that because I’m there — the narrative that LeBron ‘runs the team’ is false,” Paul stated. “People don’t think about the impact that that has off the court, right? It hurts friendships, guys feel like, ‘Hey, I may have been traded because you wanted me out.’ That’s not true.”
At age 40, James remains an elite performer, earning All-NBA Second Team honors last season. Though retirement looms, he is taking his career one season at a time, focusing on playing alongside his son Bryce and chasing one last championship. According to Paul, James has no motivation to pressure the Lakers into trades or other moves; instead, he is content to let the front office do its work while he concentrates on competing at a high level.
As the Lakers prepare for another offseason of roster decisions, the narrative is clear: LeBron James is a basketball icon, but he does not pull the strings behind the scenes. Those decisions belong to the front office, even if fans and media sometimes want to believe otherwise.