Los Angeles Lakers

Surely, you expected to see the purple-and-gold in this article.

LeBron James and Paul are close personal friends. That seems like an appropriate starting point here. In today’s era of star player empowerment, Paul can influence his way to the Lakers if that’s where he wants to go.

On the other hand, the Lakers may not have much to offer the Suns in exchange. They’ll have to hope nobody else does either. At the same time, it may be hard to land a first-round pick for the aging Point God. That’s a substantial future asset to part with in exchange for a 37-year-old.

The Lakers could justify it. With James still producing at prime levels (and 37 himself), they face an urgent need to win now. With Westbrook and James demonstrably unable to play together, flipping the former along with their 2027 first-rounder in exchange for Paul would be a tremendous win for this organization.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul Speaks Out On His Future With Phoenix Suns

If the Suns are rebuilding, it might be the best offer they get for an aging, expensive Chris Paul.