Lakers: Tension Growing Between LeBron James' Agent and Front Office
The Lakers are really going to need to start preparing for life without LeBron James at some point. For as much as it was cool to see him at the All-Star Game this weekend, a few of his comments led many to believe he had one foot out the door in LA.
And of course he does. The Lakers have until August to try to get a two-year deal done with James that could be worth close to $100 million. If they don't, James becomes a free agent after next season.
But things don't sound very good in Lakers' land. The latest report from Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus suggests that there may be some turmoil between the front office and Klutch Sports. And that tension goes back to the trade deadline after Rob Pelinka did not make a move for John Wall.
"According to multiple NBA sources, Klutch is not happy with Pelinka. The sentiment has long percolated, but it reached a boil when Pelinka refused to trade Westbrook and a future first-round pick (likely 2027) for Houston Rockets guard and Klutch client John Wall. ... From the Klutch point of view, the Lakers would get their client out of a bad situation in Houston and undo the Westbrook mistake."
Rich Paul reportedly thought it would be in the best interests of both sides to get a deal done. That would mean rescuing Wall from Houston to give him actual playing time with the Lakers. But Los Angeles and Houston did not agree on the extra compensation associated with the deal, and nothing happened.
So instead, the Lakers are forced to live with the Russell Westbrook debacle. And that doesn't sound like something Klutch Sports wanted. Will that play a role in how they approach James' next contract? Possibly.
But it's certainly not looking great.
