The Lakers are coping with inside frustration after Wealthy Paul questioned the staff’s contender standing and floated an Austin Reaves–for–Jaren Jackson Jr. commerce.
That commentary that didn’t land properly behind closed doorways, based on Lakers reporter Jovan Buha.
“I can affirm that folks haven’t been joyful,” Buha stated. “I’m not gonna go extra particular than that, however I’d simply say folks haven’t been pleased with that pod and a few of the feedback… There was the ’they’re not contenders’ and that one factor, and even some folks inside that constructing would possibly imagine that on the core if you happen to gave them fact serum. It’s one factor to suppose that privately, one factor to place that out publicly. However then a few of the stuff that has come out since, most notably I believe not too long ago this entire commerce Austin Reaves for Jaren Jackson Jr., who principally averages the identical quantity of rebounds and that may’ve been an fascinating commerce a yr in the past, however Austin Reaves is only a straight up higher participant than Jaren Jackson Jr. and has extra commerce worth than Jaren Jackson Jr. So if Memphis desires to throw in a number of picks and GG Jackson, then perhaps that’s a dialog. However the basic framework of JJJ for Austin Reaves straight up doesn’t make any sense, in my view, from the Lakers facet… However it’s been some fascinating feedback popping out of that as a result of that’s unusual, for an agent to commenting on his participant’s staff to this diploma and saying principally I’d commerce this man, particularly a man who’s type of in contract competitors for his consumer.”
Paul later addressed the backlash.
“My man Reggie who’s Austin’s agent, we talked,” Paul stated. “I would like Austin to know this isn’t about Austin Reaves as a result of I like the participant, love the particular person. I’m not making an attempt to mess up something with AR. This was a hypothetical take. Not one thing that was going to occur.”
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