It’s no secret the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make at least one roster upgrade this offseason. It is widely presumed that LeBron James will remain with them, and they need to maximize what is remaining of his career and his partnership with fellow superstar Anthony Davis.
It is expected that they will look to upgrade their backcourt. Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell has done well in his one and a half regular seasons with the team, but he has greatly underperformed in the playoffs throughout his career.
The Lakers are rumored to be looking to trade for Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young this summer. But if neither are gettable, could they settle for one of James’ close friends?
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report told The Athletic’s Jovan Buha that Chris Paul is a “real possibility” for Los Angeles (h/t Lakers Nation).
“I would be remiss without mentioning Chris Paul is a real possibility,” said Pincus. “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.”
There were rumors the Lakers were interested in getting Paul last offseason, but he instead joined the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have until June 28 to decide whether to release him or to guarantee his salary for next season.
He recently turned 39 years of age, and he clearly isn’t the player he was just three years ago. This season, he averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes a game while shooting just 44.1% from the field.
Paul, of course, was headed to the Lakers late in 2011 until then-NBA commissioner David Stern, who was also the acting owner of the New Orleans Hornets at the time, vetoed the trade.
The Lakers don’t exactly have success with bringing in future Hall of Famers who are up there in age and nearing the end of their careers (see Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony).
But one should never underestimate the power James and his agency Klutch Sports seem to have within the Lakers’ organization.