Kansas Crimson

Virtually all of the Lakers' young talent was publicly dangled in trade talks for superstar Anthony Davis, sowing mistrust between those players and management -- and between those players and James. Johnson and Pelinka allowed James' management team what was considered unusual access by many people around the team and league. And tensions boiled over in an early February locker room blow-up. All of it put the organization in a near-constant state of disarray, as epitomized on the night of their final regular-season game, when Johnson resigned without telling anyone in the organization, including Buss. Three days later, coach Luke Walton and the organization agreed to part ways.

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In the aftermath of signing James, Lakers management, tasked with building a roster around him, nabbed mercurial veterans -- guards Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson, center JaVale McGee and forward Michael Beasley. The signings were criticized publicly, though Pelinka defended them. And James, who was consulted on the deals, signed off.

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In November, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Maverick Carter, LeBron's longtime business partner, met for lunch. James' agent, Rich Paul, was seated at a nearby table, and at one point, approached Silver to complain about Walton, multiple sources familiar with the interaction told ESPN. Paul said he didn't believe Walton was the right coach for the Lakers. Silver shrugged off the remark and asked whom Paul thought would be the right coach. Paul suggested Tyronn Lue.

Paul was also letting it be known through back-channel conversations, including those with reporters, that he wasn't on board with Walton. Paul criticized how Walton allotted minutes to players and his inconsistent lineups, which were partly the result of injuries and suspensions. Members of the Lakers' coaching staff became aware of those conversations and wondered whether Johnson's heated meeting with Walton was influenced by Paul.

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When asked why Caldwell-Pope played [on work-release from jail], a Lakers spokesperson said they were simply following the judge's work-release ruling. Staffers within the organization and sources close to the team say they believe it was because the Lakers were trying to curry favor with Klutch in their efforts to sign James the following summer in free agency.

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And so the perception existed among the Lakers' coaching staff that Paul sought to oust Walton. And some players also believed, according to coaching staff members and those players' agents, that Klutch Sports was working to trade them away for a superstar. Given those perceptions, one former Lakers player described Paul's presence on the team charter as a "culture killer."

"Coaches know Rich is trying to get them fired, and players know Rich is trying to get them traded," said one agent with ties to the Lakers, who called Paul's presence on the plane "destructive."

Geezer wrote: ↑Sat Oct 13, 2018 4:52 pm Gutter's ex-lover Joakim Noah was waived by the Knicks.