Rich Paul directly addresses rumors of LeBron James potentially leaving the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers fans don’t need to worry about potentially seeing LeBron James in a different uniform anytime soon.

Despite some speculation from fans, there’s reportedly no legitimacy to the idea that James is on his way out of L.A.

“I spoke to LeBron’s agent Rich Paul, and he said that talk in itself is just ridiculous, and it’s totally false,” NBA insider Shams Charania said. “LeBron James isn’t leaving the Lakers. He’s gonna be on the Lakers.”

It has been a frustrating season for the Lakers, but the squad still has time to figure things out. It’s important for the team to move with a sense of urgency, but it’s also important to remember that the regular season isn’t even halfway over.

So far this season, L.A. is 16-16. The team currently finds itself jammed in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference. The hope is that the Lakers will eventually be able to climb up the standings and avoid landing in the play-in again.

Health and injury issues have plagued the Lakers frequently throughout the season so far, and that’s still a problem currently. James himself has battled his fair share of availability issues, but when he’s been on the floor, he’s played at a high level.

The 36-year-old has appeared in 20 games. He’s averaging 26.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per contest while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from deep.

If the Lakers are going to turn things around, it’s probably going to have a lot to do with James’ production.