After losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs this season, the Los Angeles Lakers must revamp the roster for next year.
Los Angeles built a complimentary roster to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but those plans unraveled when either of the two, and oftentimes both this season, were injured.
Heading into next season, L.A. must find more skilled players who don’t rely on James and Davis to do all the creating on offense; it makes the scheme too predictable and forces those players to make shots off the ball, and that wasn’t the case against the Phoenix Suns.
READ: Magic Johnson says LeBron, Lakers should be first to call Chris Paul if he opts out of contract
In that series, the Suns packed the paint and clogged all the driving lanes James could take, forcing him to find teammates out on the perimeter instead. Phoenix’s strategy worked because the Lakers didn’t have any other consistent off-the-bounce threats other than James after Davis went down.
But, speaking of Phoenix, the Lakers reportedly have an eye on veteran guard Chris Paul, according to Marc Spears of The Undefeated:
According to sources, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been on the hunt for veteran point guard, and Paul is on the list. For Paul to join forces with James for the first time in their careers, it would likely take a sign-and-trade with the Suns. The most the over-the-cap Lakers can offer Paul without a sign-and-trade is a $9.5 million taxpayer midlevel exception. The attraction of chasing his first championship with James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers could be an appealing option for Paul to ponder. Keep in mind that Paul, a former LA Clippers star, still lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two kids.
But as intriguing as Paul on the Lakers sounds since he checks the boxes of what L.A. needs, L.A. doesn’t have the financial means to compete for Paul’s services.
Paul has a player option for next season worth over $44 million, and the Lakers, as mentioned, can offer only $9.5 million, so Paul would need to sacrifice over $30 million for a shot at a ring.
And if it is a sign-and-trade deal the Lakers want, the primary assets they can put on the table for Paul are Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker as well as future draft picks to sweeten the deal.
Paul had the best numbers on Phoenix during the NBA Finals, which makes it unlikely the Suns depart from arguably their most talented player when they were two wins away from their first championship in franchise history. The Suns would add more depth to the roster, but none of the players are at Paul’s caliber, so their spot in the standings could take a hit.
If it’s not Paul coming to L.A., Spears also reported the Lakers and Washington Wizards have had talks on a potential sign-and-trade deal sending Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles.
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