The LeBron Factor
A lot of talk has been made since the Lakers signed Caldwell-Pope because of his representation. In fact, the young guard shares agent Rich Paul with no less than LeBron James.
After all the rumors that LeBron could be leaving Cleveland again and would be eyeing Los Angeles as his next destination, the connection between the two was immediately labeled as the main reason why the Purple and Gold signed him.
As much as a good opportunity it is for the Lakers to create a valuable relationship with Paul to use it as an asset to recruiting James in the future, it sounds absurd to consider it the main reason of Caldwell-Pope’s signing. His basketball skills are what earned him his contract.
Anyway, it is true that his link to James does not hurt. The Lakers have one year to show Paul what classy organization they are and the plans they have for the future. The team results might not be the best point to attract LBJ, but knowing how they work behind the scenes to turn things up could play a role in ‘The Decision’ to choose the Lakers over another.
Things like the level of professionalism asked from the players and how they are treated, the team dynamics between coaching staff and players, and the general atmosphere of the entire environment are all aspects players look at in the deciding process, especially aging players who have already accomplished a lot in their career.
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No one knows what LeBron’s plans are and he is probably going to stay quiet on the matter until the end of the season, but giving him an insight in the organization might be a valuable help in case he decides to take his talents out of Cleveland for the second time around.