Overview
- On his Game Over podcast, Klutch CEO Rich Paul proposed the Lakers send Austin Reaves to the Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr., outlining packages with expiring contracts, a future first-round pick, or Reaves as the centerpiece.
- LeBron James told ESPN that Paul's podcast views are his own and said there is no fallout with Reaves, his longest-tenured Lakers teammate.
- Reaves' agent, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, approached Paul at halftime of the Lakers-Hawks game to discuss the public trade scenario, according to ESPN.
- Reporters and an unnamed NBA executive criticized Paul's approach, noting organizational unhappiness and raising conflict-of-interest concerns about an active agent promoting specific trades on a media platform.
- Reaves remains out with a calf strain after a career-best start and is expected to decline his 2026–27 player option, with his next contract and the Lakers' roster plan around Luka Dončić featuring prominently in the debate, though no trade has occurred.