After some midseason trades, the Los Angeles Lakers seem perhaps one piece short of being a true championship-caliber team.
The Lakers were chugging along under .500 through the first half of the season when the arrivals of Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt turned everything around. The three generated enough change to take the team to the Western Conference finals, only to get swept there by the Denver Nuggets.
But what is that missing piece? ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins thinks it could be future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who could get waived soon by the Phoenix Suns.
"Chris Paul to the Lakers would shake up the league… We heard LeBron James talking about retirement… But what it did make me realize is that is he losing a little motivation right now? … CP3 would be the missing piece."
— Kendrick Perkinspic.twitter.com/S77nUQOzzD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 9, 2023
Perkins pointed out how LeBron James is reportedly considering retirement and how the presence of Paul, whom he is good friends with, could give him some extra juice.
In addition, Perkins mentioned Paul’s mastery of running the pick-and-roll and how it would make life easier for Anthony Davis.
Paul has been one of the NBA’s best pure point guards and floor generals for about a decade and a half. However, he is 38 years of age, injury-prone and in decline.