Lakers News: Rich Paul Makes Surprising Statement About Which Star LA Should Cater Too

What should the Lakers do in this situation?

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering into a very crucial offseason following an early playoff exit. They relieved head coach Darvin Ham of his duties and are now searching for his replacement. 

However, the front office also has work to do along the roster to get themselves back to being more competitive. It's a tough task for general manager Rob Pelinka but the coaching hire is the most important part of the offseason for the team.

This will be the third coach for the Lakers since the 2019-20 season, making this hire extra important to get correct. Many have speculated that former NBA guard JJ Redick will get the job, in part due to his connection with Lakers star LeBron James.

However, in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, James's agent Rich Paul pushed back on that narrative. He even made a surprising claim that Los Angeles should be more focused on making this hore for star Anthony Davis over James.

"In my opinion, the Lakers focus should probably be more so on Anthony Davis than LeBron at this point. I think for him being so good for so long, people just think he controls the team. There's no controlling of the team"

While Davis has emerged to be the face of the Lakers long-term, it's still a little shocking to see Paul say this. James is a larger-than-life icon in the sport of basketball so it's strange to hear his agent push him behind Davis.

Paul also represents Davis so maybe it's more of him pushing his other client forward knowing that James only has a few years left to play. Whatever happens, Los Angeles needs to get the hire right, otherwise, they will be in the same situation once again in a few years.

More Lakers: Lakers Emerge As Possible Landing Spot For 12-Time All-Star This Summer