Rich Paul has been LeBron James‘ agent for quite a long time. James was one of his first clients back in the early 2000s, and Paul, to this day has been a smart and sought-out agent. LeBron James has played for three teams in his career. For all the transactions, Paul made sure that the four-time MVP signed contracts that were worth his talents. However, there was this one potential trade that would’ve changed the history of the game as we know it.

James’ history with the Warriors is no short of a saga. The King has played the Dubs four consecutive times in the Finals. Of course, there were rumors whether either of the two superstars, Steph or James, one of them would join forces to make up for a dominant superteam in the league. Surprisingly, while this trade would’ve received a lot of attention, this would’ve also come with quite some negativity. Rich Paul, predicting every scenario, might have just saved LeBron James.
This potential trade would’ve resulted in James changing clubs for the fourth time in his career. The King would’ve faced potential backlash due to which Paul put a halt on the phone calls from both sides. James has faced criticism for having switched three clubs in his career. As great of a player as he is, such talent in the league often stays with the same franchise for most of their career. Well, that certainly isn’t the case with James. Moreover, joining Steph and the Warriors could’ve pulled a similar narrative as it did when Durant arrived at the Bay.

At the end of the day, fans could only wonder how big of a trade this could’ve been. Also, James and Steph on the same team would be a problem, as seen in the Olympics. Now, the growing competition in the West would’ve been the problem, but if the two would’ve played somewhere around 70 games a year, the Dubs would be looking at a top-five team in the Conference.

What is Rich Paul’s strategy for landing the best deal for his clients?

Well, for rookies, Paul usually avoids letting the youngsters attend multiple team workouts. The same was the case with Bronny who worked with the Lakers and the Suns. Even though there were teams who wanted to get a glimpse of the 19-year-old, Paul set the tone for the right value for his client after two team workouts. However, with James, who is the oldest and most dominant player in the league, Paul’s approach would have been different following the trade.

Now, if this trade had been a reality last year, it would have left James with just two years left on his then-current contract. This is where Paul comes in. James’ value in the league would land him a deal, anywhere around $50+ million annually. And Rich Paul wouldn’t be looking to get anything less in return. Yes, the Warriors already have a player of the same caliber, but the Dubs would also have given away some crucial assets to the Lakers in order to make space for James.
Ever since the Cavs and Warriors clashed in 2015, there have been fan-favorite rumors about Steph and James teaming up. If it were to become a reality, it would’ve been one of the biggest trades in league history. Now, as James and Steph hunt for their fifth ring, it will be interesting to see whether they look to join forces to win it all together. What are your thoughts on Rich Paul blocking what could’ve been a trade deal of the decade? Do you think James would have won a title despite the backlash? Let us know in the comments.