Rich Paul sheds light on LeBron James' future with Lakers, says Los Angeles isn't a title contender

The 17-6 Lakers are second in the Western Conference

Speculation on LeBron James' future seems to run rampant with every comment and every rumor, but Rich Paul's latest remarks seemed to quell the fire -- at least for now. Paul, speaking on the debut episode of the "Game Over" podcast he co-hosts with longtime sports analyst Max Kellerman, addressed both the Los Angeles Lakers' ability to contend for a title this season and whether James will be on the team by the end of this season.

"I personally don't think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now -- not right now," said Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and James' longtime business partner. "I don't think they have enough to get to the Western Conference [Finals]. I don't think they have enough to contend from that perspective right now."

The Lakers are 17-6 this season, tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets, even though James has only played in seven games due to sciatica that kept him out until mid-November. The Lakers are 6-1 when James plays this season. Overall, Los Angeles, led by Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, has the sixth-best offensive rating in the league, though it is 21st in defense.

Unfortunately for James and the Lakers, they play in the same conference as the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose 23-1 record is tied for the second-best mark through the first 24 games of a season in NBA history. There's also the Nuggets, Houston Rockets (15-6), San Antonio Spurs (16-7) and Minnesota Timberwolves (15-9) in the top six of a loaded conference.

Could that mean James, who might be in the last season of his NBA career, will play elsewhere this season?

"No," Paul said when asked about James potentially playing for another team this season. "Where's he gonna go?"

Kellerman mentioned the New York Knicks as a possibility.

"That's wishful thinking, Max, from New York" Paul said. "Does LeBron make the Knicks better? Yes. Yeah, he would, of course. But 29 other teams would say the same thing."

James, as Paul later noted, has a no-trade clause. The 40-year-old superstar is scoring 16.1 points per game, which is on pace to be a career low, though he's also averaging career lows in minutes (33.1) and shot attempts (13.9). He is coming off a season-high 29 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Lakers have chances to prove they can hang with the West's best coming up. They face the Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals Wednesday, and they take on the Rockets on Christmas Day.