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NBA rumors: Insider calls out Rich Paul, LeBron James’ free agency ‘facade’ after Lakers exit
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- NBA rumors: Insider calls out Rich Paul, LeBron James’ free agency ‘facade’ after Lakers exit
NBA rumors: Insider calls out Rich Paul, LeBron James' free agency 'facade' after Lakers exit appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The LeBron James sweepstakes are set to continue after the first week of free agency, and there was little clarity on the teams he might be interested in playing for. Rich Paul had an entire podcast where he drew on a whiteboard the several teams who James could fit with , and he also mentioned that almost every team in the league reached out to him about his client.
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Though that sounds true, there are some people who just don't believe it , such as NBA insider Ric Bucher, who claims that the narrative Paul is spinning is a "facade."
"The Rich Paul propaganda about contacting every team in the league to determine the interest in LeBron is just window dressing," Bucher said. "If teams were interested, he wouldn't have to reach out to them. It's a sign that LeBron and Rich are struggling with the new reality, which is that LeBron simply isn't valued the way he once was. He does not have the leverage he once did, which is not an indictment.
"No one is going to invest in a player who is turning 42 years old next season and comes with all the outsized attention and servicing that LeBron does. The only place that makes any sense is for him to return to Cleveland where it all began."
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It's hard to believe that James isn't valued at a high level, especially seeing what he's still able to do at his age. Just last season with the Los Angeles Lakers , James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
Also, it doesn't seem like James is asking for a large contract this time around. He's willing to take less money to play somewhere he feels he can compete and win a championship. In all honesty, it could be the Cavaliers, but it could also be somewhere else.
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