Stephen A. Smith criticizes Rich Paul for suggesting the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Austin Reaves for Jaren Jackson Jr.

LeBron James put up one of the best games of his season on Tuesday night, scoring 31 points to go along with 10 assists and nine rebounds in a 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks, but after the game James had to do a bit of damage control in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room.

Paul recently floated a trade of the Lakers' Austin Reaves for the Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr., sparking reaction from Lakers fans.

Austin Reaves’ camp confronted Rich Paul at halftime after trade buzz, adding fuel to Lakers drama as rumors swirl around Reaves’ future.

Austin Reaves' agent was not thrilled with Rich Paul's suggestion that the Lakers trade his client for Jaren Jackson Jr.

As LeBron denies influencing Rich Paul's trade suggestion, ESPN's First Take reveals why a lifetime of close partnership makes public separation impossible for the NBA's most powerful duo.

In any case, it's not the message, it's the messenger. Paul is one of the most powerful off-court figures in the league, reps Reaves' legendary teammate (who carries plenty of weight himself) and has previously suggested on another episode of his podcast that Reaves should shift to a bench role, à la Manu Ginobili.

As Buha said, the first comment that ruffled feathers was Paul's assertion that the Lakers are not championship contenders. He doubled down on that last week when he said even if Luka Doncic turns into prime Tony Allen, the Lakers still would not win with their current roster.