Rich Paul Says Lakers Aren't "Good Enough" To Win A Championship

The Los Angeles Lakers currently sit in second place in the Western Conference with a respectable 17-6 record, but for Rich Paul, it’s not enough.

Paul, LeBron James’ high school friend and Klutch Sports agency CEO, started a new podcast with Max Kellerman called Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, and immediately came out swinging with his honest thoughts on the Lakers’ success this season.

“I personally don’t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now,” Paul says, hesitant that they can get to the Western Conference Finals in their current form.

They’ve got off to a good start, but Paul says, “That doesn’t mean anything,” and the real test is the postseason.

“Then, when you go into the playoffs, we saw last year, they ran into athleticism and length, and they struggled. So when you look at it now, athleticism, length, shooting, speed, right? Because now, can the Lakers play fast? I don’t think so. And style of play. That style of play is gonna be very easy to guard when you get into the playoffs… They’re not a better team than Denver, [Houston] has athletes… I think there’s a couple changes to be made in short-term, and the long.”

Given how close Paul is to James, it’s easy to think that they may have a similar idea on the Lakers’ 2025-26 ceiling, and if James isn’t confident, he could easily find a home elsewhere, but Paul says that’s not happening.

When asked if James would request a trade, Paul firmly said, “No.”

“Where’s he going to go?” Paul asked.

The Lakers are in an odd transitional period as they still have an aging LeBron James, who’s still an invaluable member of the team but is averaging a career-low 16 points per game after missing the beginning of the season for the first time in his career.

But he’s got a running partner in Luka Doncic, who’s the clear future of the franchise, as well as Austin Reaves, who stepped up in his absence.

To represent the West in the Finals, the Lakers would have to beat the Denver Nuggets and the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. And that’s a tall order for them, despite a promising beginning to the season.

See social media’s reaction to Paul keeping it honest on the Lakers’ championship hopes.