Throughout the years, there have been a handful of NBA stars who were linked at one point or another with the Los Angeles Lakers. One of the most prominent, and one who arguably should have joined the franchise long ago, is point guard Chris Paul of the Golden State Warriors.
One of the best pure point guards the NBA has ever seen, Paul is nearing the end of his career and still has yet to reach that ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship. He has also yet to team up with good friend LeBron James, but perhaps that can change and the two can help each other reach the mountaintop.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus in an interview with Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Paul joining the Lakers this offseason is a real possibility either via trade or through free agency:
“I would be remiss without mentioning Chris Paul is a real possibility. There is a reasonable chance he gets traded or just cut by the Warriors. He and LeBron obviously have a close relationship. There is a universe where the Lakers sign Chris Paul. It makes a lot of sense to me. Is Chris coming for the minimum? I don’t know. I don’t want to say he comes cheap to the Lakers, but in the absence of a better offer I could see that.”
Paul’s contract for the 2024-25 season is non-guaranteed and the Warriors have until June 28 to make a decision on whether to release him with no salary cap ramifications. Should that happen, Paul would become a very intriguing free agency possibility for the Lakers.
As Pincus noted, it could come down to what kind of offers Paul would receive on the open market. Last season with the Warriors, he showed he could still make an impact, especially in helping to raise a bench unit and get teammates open shots. That is an area the Lakers struggled with last season, so the pairing could make some sense. But Paul also has a lengthy injury history that must be taken into account as well, and he is not getting any younger.
There are still a lot of decisions to be made around the league regarding a number of players, but if Paul does hit the open market, the Lakers will likely at least kick the tires on the point guard.
All options on the table regarding LeBron James’ Lakers contract status
Chris Paul joining the Lakers would conceivably pair him up with longtime friend LeBron James, but he still has his own decision to make regarding his future. And anything remains possible with that.
A recent report stated that all options are on the table regarding LeBron’s contract status with the Lakers. He could still opt in to the final year of his deal or opt out and hit the free agency market where he could sign with any team, though the belief is still that he eventually remains in L.A.
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